HC Deb 16 January 1984 vol 52 c20

3.30 pm

Mr. Dennis Skinner (Bolsover)

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the revelations in The Observer yesterday about the Cementation contract, in which the Prime Minister and her son Mark were involved in a great deal of lobbying, I wonder whether any representations have been made by the Prime Minister's Office about a full statement being made from the Dispatch Box so that right hon. and hon. Members could question the right hon. Lady about the role that she and her son played in getting that contract. I remind the House that the right hon. Lady said on television yesterday that she lobbied on behalf of British firms which wanted to get contracts overseas. However, her own Ministry of Defence, straight after the Falklands war, refused to give a contract to a firm just outside my constituency and allowed it to go to a Swedish firm even though it had not submitted the lowest tender.

Mr. Speaker

I do not think that that arises out of Question Time today. There will be other opportunities to raise the matter.