§ Mr. Willie W. Hamilton (Fife, Central)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. The point of order arises directly from Question No. 5. You will recall that the hon. Member for Suffolk, South (Mr. Yeo) asked an important question about the cost of the Falkland Islands adventure. That is an important matter to hard-pressed British taxpayers. An answer was given by the Minister. My hon. Friend the Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) sought to ask a supplementary question pointing out the enormous extravagance of that adventure compared with the amount of money it would cost to save the Bathgate venture. Far from seeking to answer that question, the Minister went on to attempt to answer Question No. 6. You had not even called that question. The hon. Member for Enfield, North (Mr. Eggar), in whose name the question stands, was not even here, but you allowed the Minister to get away with that. I think there was a misunderstanding — [Interruption.] That was the impression created on the Opposition side of the House. It was important that we should have a run of questions on an exercise that will cost more than £2,000 million of British taxpayers' money in the next three years on a few hundred Falkland islanders. I was seeking to raise a supplementary question, but you sought to go on to the next question.
§ Mr. SpeakerWhat is the point of order?
§ Mr. HamiltonThe point of order is simple. You regard yourself, Mr. Speaker, and we regard you, as the protector of Back-Bench interests in the House. That was not evident in the course of those exchanges. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] I think Mr. Speaker and I understand one another in these matters. When an issue like that arises during Question Time, I ask you, Mr. Speaker, to reconsider the proposition that a point of order should be raised only at 3.30. It was very relevant that it should have been raised at that point. Leaving it until 3.30 is like asking the man on the scaffold waiting to be hanged to wait for another 30 seconds for his point of order to be taken. It is too late then. I ask you to reconsider the matter. It is extremely important for the British taxpayer to know that he is paying those thousands of millions of pounds on these few hundred people in the Falkland Islands while—
§ Mr. Geoffrey Dickens (Littleborough and Saddleworth)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I do not think we need a further point of order. I think I can deal with this—
§ Mr. Dennis Skinner (Bolsover)rose—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. If it is exactly the same matter I shall deal with them all at once.
§ Mr. Tim Rathbone (Lewes)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I should just like to make the point that most hon. Members believe that you, Mr. Speaker, are a better judge of the interests of Back-Bench Members than individual pleaders such as the hon. Member for Fife, Central (Mr. Hamilton).
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I think I can deal with the matter now. We got off to a rather bad start—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. We got off to rather a bad start on defence questions. I apologise to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood (Ms. Short) for pulling her up on a question before she had completed it. May I say to hon. Members that I have to make a judgment every day on the Order Paper—
§ Mr. Skinnerrose—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I have to make a judgment every day on the Order Paper as to what are the important issues on which we should have a run. There were other very important questions on the Order Paper today. When the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) strayed somewhat in his supplementary, I bore in mind that there was to be a statement on the very matter later in the afternoon and that was why I moved on. May I point out that I did call the hon. Member for Enfield, North (Mr. Eggar). May I say to the whole House that it would be immensely helpful to me if, when I call hon. Members to ask their questions, they got up and announced their presence because it is very difficult in a full House to see them unless they do.
§ Mr. HamiltonHe was not here.
§ Mr. SpeakerThen I would not have called him.
§ Mr. DickensOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I do not expect you to rule on this today, Mr. Speaker, but may I say that one right hon. Member week in and week out has robbed Back Benchers of time at Question Time? Perhaps you would take him to the headmaster's study and have a word with him. I refer to the Leader of the Opposition.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. That is not a point of order.
§ Mr. SkinnerOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. A few days ago when I was addressing a meeting in the Nottinghamshire coalfield it was reported to me that an old-age pensioner, crippled since birth, had been going round the coalfield collecting money for miners' families.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The hon. Gentleman is an experienced parliamentarian and he must not abuse points of order by raising matters on which I cannot possibly rule.
§ Mr. SkinnerI have not got to the point of order yet. She was raising money and, as a result of intimidation from those miners who were working—[Interruption.]—a brick was thrown through her window. This was a disabled pensioner who had a brick thrown through the window.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. What is the point of order for me?
§ Mr. SkinnerI promised the old lady that I would raise the matter at the earliest possible moment. I felt sure that I would get the opportunity today, in view of the many questions about the miners' dispute asked by Conservative Members. I ask you, Mr. Speaker, whether I can explain this matter even further at any other time today.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The answer to the hon. Gentleman is that he cannot explain the matter any further.
§ Ms. ShortFurther to the point of order raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Fife, Central (Mr. Hamilton), Mr. Speaker. My hon. Friend the Member for Linlithgow 829 (Mr. Dalyell) asked a supplementary question to question No. 5 which was not answered and without you, Mr. Speaker, calling the next question the Secretary of State started to answer it. The question is, "Who is in the Chair?" Who will force Ministers to answer questions that are raised in this place?
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The hon. Lady was present at the time and she knows that there was some noise when the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) strayed on to other matters in his supplementary question. As I have already explained, I called question No. 6. The hon. Member for Enfield, North (Mr. Eggar) was not in his place and I say again that it is most helpful if hon. Members rise from their places and announce their presence when I call them.
§ Mr. Cranley Onslow (Woking)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Would you not agree that the point of order raised by the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner) was an abuse, and will you tell him so?
§ Mr. SpeakerI have already said that twice.