Ministerial Statements (Hansard, 22 February 1984)

§ Mr. Dennis Skinner
(Bolsover) rose—

§ Dr. David Owen (Plymouth, Devonport)
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.

§ Mr. Speaker
I shall take the points of order afterwards.

§ Dr. Owen
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Have you had a request from the Home Secretary to make a statement about the serious incident that has occurred on the picket line to the chairman of the National Coal Board, who was knocked down? A major incident appears to have taken place. In view of the fact that two statements are to be made, would it not be reasonable to ask the Leader of the House, who has now come into the Chamber, to arrange for the Home Secretary to make a statement to the House about that incident? I think that it is a matter of concern in all parts of the House.

Hon. Members
Hear, hear.

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. [Interruption.] Order. I normally take points of order immediately after statements, but as the matter has been raised I shall take the point of order now. I call Mr. Dennis Skinner. I gave the hon. Gentleman an opportunity. I shall deal with this point of order. I have not had such a request. The Leader of the House is here and no doubt he will have heard what has been said. There is only one statement today, and there is also a private notice question.

§ Mr. Skinner
On a point of order. You will recall, Mr. Speaker, that immediately after questions, you were right to intervene after the leader of the Social Democratic party had already sought to raise his point of order, because you knew, and the House knew, with the exception of the SDP leader, that points of order that do not arise immediately out of questions shall be taken later in the day. However inconvenient that may be to some hon. Members, that is the rule. I therefore take the opportunity to reinforce the point that you made, Mr. Speaker. I also draw to your attention the fact that if we manage, as the SDP leader suggested, to get the Home Secretary to talk about the incident up in Northumberland, we might also draw to the attention of the Home Secretary the fact that the mining communities will notice particularly that the SDP leader is more concerned about the boss of the Coal Board than he is about the 30 miners who have been killed in the course of the last 12 months.

§ Mr. Speaker
I am not sure that any of that had anything to do with me, but I thank the hon. Gentleman for his support.

§ Mr. Robert Maclennan (Caithness and Sutherland)
Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. Since my right hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Dr. Owen) asked whether you had received notice that the Home Secretary would make a statement, I have been in touch with the right hon. and learned Gentleman's office to ask if it was aware of the position. As 20 minutes have elapsed, is the Leader of the House now in a position to meet the wishes of the House for an immediate statement about the mass picket that led to the striking down unconscious of the chairman of a nationalised industry? Surely that is a matter of the greatest importance to the House, and not simply for comment outside. The House should have an opportunity to hear what happened and comment on it.

§ The Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. John Biffen)
Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. I shall, of course, report to my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary the exchanges that have taken place upon a topic that I realise has prompted very real emotions.

§ Mr. Speaker
Ten-minute rule Bill.

§ Dr. Owen
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.

§ Mr. Speaker
Dr. David Owen. [HON. MEMBERS: "No."] Order. I have called the right hon. Gentleman.

§ Dr. Owen
I am grateful to the Leader of the House for his remarks. I rise on a strict point of procedure. It is important that we should have some ruling from the chair about genuine points of order requesting a statement. If we had waited until after the statement by the Foreign Secretary, we should not have been able to give sufficient time for the Home Secretary to come to the House. When asking for an early statement in an emergency, I hope that you, Mr. Speaker, feel that it is in order for points of order to be raised immediately after Question Time.

§ Mr. Speaker
I note what the right hon. Gentleman says. I understand that the incident was reported on the news at lunch time, so there was time to send a message to the Home Office. Therefore, the matter need not have been raised immediately after Question Time.