ORDERS OF THE DAY (Hansard, 22 May 1978)

§ Mr. Spriggs
rose—

§ Mr. Heffer
rose—

§ Mr. Speaker
Mr. Spriggs, point of order.

§ Mr. Spriggs
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I raised this matter earlier and you ruled me out of order. Is it now the practice of this House that Mr. Speaker will allow hon. Members to raise on a point of order matters relating to something which was said in their absence and about which they are told later? Is this now to be in order?

§ Mr. Speaker
Did the hon. Member for Liverpool, Walton (Mr. Heffer) wish to raise the same point of order?

§ Mr. Heffer
indicated assent.

§ Mr. Speaker
I know very well—the hon. Member for St. Helens (Mr. Spriggs) knows very well—that I exercised my discretion. When an hon. Member feels aggrieved about something which was said when he was not in the Chamber and seeks to raise the matter on a point of order, within the rules of order he is out of order. That is absolutely clear. I should have pulled up the hon. Member for Stretford (Mr. Churchill) in his tracks. There is no doubt about that. I allowed him to raise the matter, as I have allowed other hon. Members. I know the temperament of the hon. Member for St. Helens. If someone had said anything about him when he was not here, I have not the slightest doubt that I would have heard from the hon. Gentleman. I will bear in mind what he has said, because he is quite correct in his interpretation.

§ Mr. Rooker
Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. It will be within your knowledge that during the supplementary question I was asking I merely repeated what I had been told by the directors of a particular company. This is information which is within the knowledge of other hon. Members and is information which has been published.

§ Mr. Speaker
I am much obliged to the hon. Member. The Clerk has read the Orders of the Day.