Ministerial Statements (Hansard, 21 June 1984)

§ Mr. Nigel Spearing (Newham, South)
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, on a different subject. May I draw your attention to the arrangements in the House for the notice that is given of ministerial statements? Hon. Members will appreciate that it is within the power of a Minister to seek permission to make a statement at any time, and we understand why, some days at 3.30, only short notice is given when a statement is to be made about events which have occurred very recently.
Yesterday there was a statement about a matter of great importance to the whole country, a statement which had been in preparation not for five hours or five weeks but for nearer five years. The time chosen for that statement—it was within the power of the Government to make the request—was a day which was not convenient to hon. Members.
My understanding is that the arrangements of the House, and those of the Chair, frequently result in the use of the phrase "for the convenience of the House". The notified business for yesterday was clear, and it was not until 1 pm that the intention of the Secretary of State for Education and Science to make a statement was made known to hon. Members, certainly on these Benches.
Can you give guidance to the House, Mr. Speaker, about who gives permission for statements to be made? Is it the House, is it yourself or is it entirely at the request of the Government? If it is the latter, I hope that the Government will accept that the convenience of the House, particularly on matters about which there may be no great controversy or urgency, should be borne in mind. I hope that you can give guidance to the House on that matter, Mr. Speaker.

§ Mr. Eric Forth (Mid-Worcestershire)
Further to the point of order, Mr. Speaker. The business of the House must be predicated on the assumption that all hon. Members will attend and perform their duties in the House. It is not satisfactory, surely, to suggest that some business is second-class and can be ignored, whereas other business must be attended by some who have a greater interest in it. I hope, therefore, that any ruling you give on the matter, Mr. Speaker, will be based on the assumption that all hon. Members—as is the case on these Benches—are full-time attenders, and not part-timers as apparently is the case on the Opposition Benches.

§ Mr. Tony Banks (Newham, North-West)
Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. My hon. Friend the Member for Newham, South (Mr. Spearing) is referring to a situation in which statements are a long time in preparation. The suggestion that was made by the Leader of the House that either my hon. Friend the Member for Newham, South or other Opposition Members were not full-time Members was outrageous, given the fact that my hon. Friend the Member for Bolsover, (Mr. Skinner)—[HON. MEMBERS: "Where is he?"]—in a debate which I was unfortunately not able to attend—[interruption.]reminded the House that 300 hon. Members were directors and that many Conservative Members had full-time jobs outside. The moonlighters on the Conservative Benches——

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. What is the point of order for me?

§ Mr. Banks
Is it in order for the moonlighters on the Conservative Benches to cast aspersions on my hon. Friend the Member for Newham, South, who, like me, if he is not in this House, is in his constituency, where some Conservative Members should spend some of their time?

§ Mr. Speaker
In terms of good order, it is not in order for any right hon. or hon. Member to cast aspersions on anyone else in the House. To answer the serious point made by the hon. Member for Newham, South (Mr. Spearing), the timing of statements is a matter not for the Chair but for the Government. The phrase to which he draws my attention—I say this with deference to the hon. Member for Tiverton (Mr. Maxwell-Hyslop)— "with the leave of the House" is a courtesy, and "Erskine May" adds: Prior notice to the Speaker is necessary, but neither his permission nor the leave of the House is required. It is therefore entirely a matter for the Government. I realised the importance of that statement, and I hope that, in that realisation, I was able to call every hon. Member who was anxious to put a question on it to the Secretary of State.