§ Mr. Tony Banks (Newham, North-West)May I ask for your advice, Mr. Speaker? This morning at noon, three hon. Members of this House presented a petition signed by 300,000 members of the public against animal experiments outside the Home Office—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. Does this arise out of questions?
§ Mr. SpeakerAs the hon. Member has started I shall allow him to continue.
§ Mr. BanksI am seeking your advice because after the petition was presented, the three Members of Parliament were subjected to what can only be described as offensive abuse from the Metropolitan police. We were trying to carry out our duties as hon. Members of this House and I would ask you to rule, Mr. Speaker, whether interference by the Metropolitan police in charging two hon. Members of this House and my personal assistant with obstruction was in fact—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I cannot possibly rule on a matter which is sub judice.