§ Mr. Robert Maclennan (Caithness and Sutherland)On a point of order Mr. Speaker. After the Business Statement on Thursday I put a specific question to the Leader of the House——
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The hon. Gentleman gave me notice, indirectly, that he intended to raise a point of order. However, we usually take points of order after statements. I hope that the hon. Gentleman does not mind.
§ Mr. MaclennanFurther to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. I understand that that is the usual practice, but I wonder whether it would be possible, on this occasion, for you to hear the point of order before the statement is made, because a written question is due to be answered at 3.30 pm. If the point of order is postponed, it may be too late.
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Gentleman may proceed.
§ Mr. MaclennanAfter the Business Satement on Thursday I asked the Leader of the House whether the Government had reached a decision on the future of the fast reactor programme. I also asked the right hon. Gentleman for an undertaking that an oral statement would be made in the House so that questions could be put to the Minister responsible. The right hon. Gentleman gave a positive assurance and said:
That statement will be a most important decision that will merit a statement in the House."—[Official Report, 25 November 1982; Vol. 32, c. 1017.]The following day a question for written answer was tabled by the hon. Member for Edinburgh, South (Mr. Ancram), the chairman of the Scottish Conservative Party. He asked whether the Secretary of State for Energy would make a statement about the fast reactor policy. Given that that question might be answered this afternoon, I wonder Mr. Speaker, whether you have any intimation that the Minister responsible would seek to make an oral statement.
§ Mr. SpeakerI have not received such notification.
§ The Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. John Biffen)The House may feel it appropriate for me to comment on the point fairly raised by the hon. Member for Caithness and Sutherland (Mr. Maclennan). I am certain he will realise that he requested not an oral statement, but a statement. I apologise to the hon. Gentleman, because when I gave that answer I was not aware that a written answer would be given today. However, I do not feel it appropriate for the written question to be withrawn, as I thought that the House would wish to be in possession of information on the Government's policies. As today is the first day for tabling questions to the Department of Energy for oral answer, I suggest that it might be productive for hon. Members to go to the Library, to ascertain Government policy and to ensure that it is properly monitored when the Secretary of Stae is next available for Question Time.