HC Deb 08 December 1978 vol 959 cc1734-5
Mr. Madden

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. You will recall that yesterday I tried to raise a point of order relating to an exchange which took place on Tuesday when the hon. Member for Rutland and Stamford (Mr. Lewis) raised a point of order with you concerning the picketing of the House of Commons by members of the National Union of Journalists. The hon. Gentleman asked whether that practice was an infringement of the rights of a free Parliament to have its reports made public throughout the country.

You, Mr. Speaker, said that you would not give the hon. Member for Rutland and Stamford an answer that day, Tuesday, and I believe that you have not so far given your reply. I should like to ask whether you intend to reply to the point raised by the hon. Member for Rutland and Stamford and, if so, whether you will give an indication when you expect to make it.

If you intend to make such a statement, Mr. Speaker, I should like to ask whether you believe that the existing Sessional Orders in any way provide for what some would regard as an advance of the privileges of the House of Commons. So far as I have been able to understand from " Erskine May ", page 220, there are clear provisions for the access of Members and Officers of both Houses to the House of Commons and the House of Lords, clear regulations concerning the powers of the police to disperse any crowds which may be hindering the access of Members and Officers to either House, and clear regulations affecting groups of people gathering near the House for the purposes of presenting petitions and matters of that kind.

I believe that there were no complaints whatever about the conduct of those who were seeking to persuade fellow journalists not to enter the House or about their picketing activities impeding the free access of Members and Officers to the House. Therefore, it would seem that existing arrangements clearly make no provision whatever for dealing with this matter and to seek to do so would be to advance the privileges of the House.

Therefore, I should like to ask whether you, Mr Speaker, intend to make a statement—I think that it would be important for you to do so—so that we may be absolutely clear about the existing arrangements, which have been in force for a very long time and have been thought wholly adequate by the vast majority of Members, Officers and the general public.

Mr. Speaker

First, I am quite sure that the hon. Member for Sowerby (Mr. Madden) understood that I could not take his point of order in the middle of our proceedings last evening, because there is a normal time for raising points of order.

After this matter had been raised in the House by the hon. Member for Rutland and Stamford (Mr. Lewis), I called for a report from the Serjeant at Arms and the police. It is clear from that report that there was no picketing within the parliamentary precincts and no obstruction or interference with persons entering the building. I conclude, therefore, that there is no need for further action by the House.