Mr. Speaker's Ruling (Written Answers) (Hansard, 7 May 1985)

§ Mr. Speaker

The hon. Member for Sedgefield (Mr. Blair) raised a point of order last Friday, when Mr. Deputy Speaker was in the Chair, about the substitution by the Treasury at about 7 o'clock last Thursday of a new text of a written reply after what purported to be the original reply had been lodged at the proper time, that is, at 3.30 pm. I understand that the facts are not in dispute.

Nevertheless, I have to rule that, in the words of "Erskine May" on page 345, any alteration —to a written answer— must be made orally in the House by the Minister". The Treasury should not have sought to substitute a new answer by sending it to the hon. Member for Sedgefield at 7 o'clock. I note that the Financial Secretary offered his apologies when the matter was first raised last Friday.

Furthermore, the revised answers should not have been accepted and printed by the Official Report. I therefore direct that the original answers should now be printed and should appear in the Bound Volume.

I also understand that the hon. Member for Sedgefield was concerned about the interference with his mail once it had been placed on the Letter Board. No doubt the staff on duty at the Letter Board were seeking to be helpful, but I have to say that they should not have allowed the mail of the hon. Member to be opened in the way in which it apparently was.