HC Deb 13 December 1983 vol 50 cc837-8
Mr. Robin Corbett (Birmingham, Erdington)

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. You earlier responded to a point of order from my hon. Friend the Member for Tyne Bridge (Mr. Cowans). You may have had difficulty hearing him, but he wanted to know why hon. Members were denied copies of the White Paper on regional industrial development — not the Secretary of State's statement. Do you now feel it appropriate to advise Back Benchers that they are entitled to copies of the White Paper on the same basis and at the same time as other persons in the House who are not hon. Members?

Mr. Speaker

I apologise to the hon. Member for Tyne Bridge (Mr. Cowans) if I misheard his point of order——

The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and President of the Board of Trade (Mr. Norman Tebbit)

Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker——

Several Hon. Members

rose——

Mr. Speaker

Order. I call the hon. Member for Huddersfield (Mr. Sheerman).

Mr. Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield)

Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. On many occasions there have been long debates and numerous points of order on the availability of literature to hon. Members that is freely available in the Press Gallery. There are times when hon. Members demand the right to see such papers and to study the information available to prepare themselves for debate, but that does not always happen. May I ask for a general inquiry to be made into this matter?

Mr. Speaker

The hon. Gentleman and the whole House know of my strong opinion that Back Benchers should have as much information as possible, but the Secretary of State wishes to say something about this.

Mr. Tebbit

Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. Today we have followed the same practice that has been followed for many years by successive Governments. Copies of the White Paper are in the Vote Office and will be made available when I am called to make the statement to which the White Paper relates.

Mr. Bowen Wells (Hertford and Stortford)

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker

Is this a different point of order?

Mr. Bowen Wells

It is a related point of order, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker

I hope that it is not too related.

Mr. Bowen Wells

First, Mr. Speaker, I apologise to you and the House for uttering the words, "Why not?" when you were on your feet just now. I submit that to you in true humility.

Secondly, I ask you to use your influence on Ministers to make certain that papers available to the press are also available to hon. Members on both sides of the House before a statement is made, otherwise it is a gross abuse of the democratic rights of the House.