Gartcosh (Hansard, 19 December 1985)

§ Mr. Nigel Spearing (Newham, South)
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. My point of order arises from the exchanges between my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Monklands, East (Mr. Smith) and the Leader of the House relating to the closure of Gartcosh.
In those exchanges, we learnt that a letter had been sent from the office of the Secretary of State for Scotland, signed by the private secretary, to the convener of the trade union committee at Gartcosh. That letter referred to the report of the Select Committee and in paragraph 2 stated that the shop stewards put their view to the committee that the link between Gartcosh and Ravenscraig was such that if the British Steel Corporation went ahead with their intention to close Gartcosh, then the closure of Ravenscraig would inevitably follow. You gave Mr. Younger papers in support of the arguments which you and your colleagues had developed at the meeting. Part of paragraph 6 states: The overriding factor in persuading Mr. Younger to come to his decision has been the clear and firm statements by the Corporation that Ravenscraig's future is not prejudiced by the intended closure of Gartcosh, particularly in evidence to the Select Committee. The Secretary of State and his private secretary had referred to the impending reply by the Government to that Select Committee. Mr. Speaker knows, as does the rest of the House, that such replies are Command Papers. Select Committees expect and usually get from the Government the respect that is due to them. My point is that the terms of this letter pre-empt any considered reply by the Government to that Select Committee. The fact that the letter is dated the day of that report downgrades and preempts the report and, in some respects, shows discourtesy not only to the Committee but to the House, which allocated duties to that Committee. Does that not require a comment from you, Mr. Speaker, as upholder of the rights of Back-Bench Members and the House and later, perhaps at an appropriate time, comment from the Leader of the House?

§ Mr. Bill Walker (Tayside, North)
rose—

§ Mr. Speaker
Is it on the same point of order?

§ Mr. Walker
Yes, Sir. I draw attention to the problems of the members of the Select Committee on Scottish Affairs and the uncertainties created by the activities of its Chairman. The hon. Member for Glasgow, Garscadden (Mr. Dewar) advised the House on the Wednesday evening that the Chairman and the Labour members of the Committee had asked to be removed from it. Further to that, the Chairman put forward proposals on Scottish radio and television—I did not see the television programme—and in the press. The Chairman proposed to call a meeting of the Select Committee—he did so on a radio programme in which I took part.

§ Mr. Speaker
I cannot answer for radio programmes.

§ Mr. Walker
It followed that the Committee had received only 48 hours' notice of this meeting. Consequently some members of the Committee were unable to be present. I wish your guidance, Mr. Speaker, on how hon. Members serving on Select Committees and other Members of this House can be protected from such uncertainty. We did not know whether the Committee was going, running or existing. Those of us who take our duties 591 seriously, particularly our duties on Select Committees, are worried about what happened. It is not surprising that the Secretary of State was equally uncertain what was happening.

§ Mr. Speaker
May I answer both questions, but separately. I say to the hon. Member for Newham, South (Mr. Spearing), who raised this matter on behalf of his hon. Friend, that if, as he is alleging, the Secretary of State for Scotland has been discourteous to the Committee, that is a matter for the Committee to take up with the Secretary of State. It is not a matter for me.
The hon. Member for Tayside, North (Mr. Walker) will know, as he has been in the House for a long time, that this Select Committee was appointed on the recommendation of the Committee of Selection and that only it can recommend that an hon. Gentleman be taken off a Committee. It is not a matter for me.