§ Mr. SpeakerI have received a complaint from the hon. Member for Stroud, (Sir A. Kershaw), Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, about a report in The Times newspaper of 18 April which gives an account of the Chairman's draft report which had been circulated to members and staff of the Foreign Affairs Committee and strictly limited to them. The press report gives information about the Committee's arrangements for considering the report. The subject matter of the draft report is British foreign policy in relation to the Falkland Islands and, in his letter to me, the Chairman expresses his concern at the damage that premature disclosure of these draft proposals may have done. He asks that the matter should be given precedence over the Orders of the Day.
I am satisfied that the hon. Member's complaint is entitled to precedence, and accordingly, if he tables a motion related to it, it will stand as first business tomorrow.
I have also received a complaint from the hon. Member for Basildon (Mr. Proctor) of words reported to have been spoken by Miss Ruth Hall at a meeting held at the House in connection with the Marital Rape Bill. Miss Hall is reported to have said that her group would be taking note of any Members who blocked the Bill and would make sure that they lived to regret it. Investigation would be made into the particular circumstances of the Members concerned.
I have decided that the hon. Member's complaint raises issues that would justify me granting precedence to a motion relating to it. Accordingly, if the hon. Member chooses to table such a motion, that, too, will be taken at the outset of tomorrow's business, after the hon. Member for Stroud has made his case.