HC Deb 08 April 1986 vol 95 c27
Mr. Giles Radice (Durham, North)

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the confusion arising out of the Prime Minister's answer to a question by my right hon. Friend the Member for Islwyn (Mr. Kinnock) about the status of the advice sent out last week by the National Advisory Body to directors of polytechnics and colleges, and in view of the anxiety of the 9,000 well qualified young people who may be deprived of places in polytechnics and colleges in 1987–88, would it now be possible for the Secretary of State to answer question No. 15 on the Order Paper, which requests a statement on the National Advisory Board's 1987–88 planning exercise?

Mr. Speaker

I am sorry, but that will not be possible. We have passed beyond that point. I am sorry that that particular question was not reached, but we had a fairly long run on the matter.

Mr. Radice

Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. Of course I accept your ruling, but my hon. Friends and I will press for the Government to make an early statement on the matter.

Mr. Stuart Bell (Middlesbrough)

Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker, and in response to the question that the Prime Minister answered, may I refer to the answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education? I suggest that the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State unwittingly misled the House by stating that the Government had no responsibility either for the National Advisory Board or for the proposals sent yesterday to every college of further and higher education. That letter stated that there was a 7 per cent. cutback in students—

Mr. Speaker

Order. That sounds like an extension of Question Time. It is not a matter for me. I cannot be responsible for answers from the Government Front Bench.

Mr Bell

I respect what you say, Mr. Speaker, and I shall bring my point of order to the point. There is a constitutional relationship between what was said by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and the position of the Government. As I have indicated that the hon. Gentleman misled the House, would it not be appropriate for him to make an early statement rectifying that misleading statement?

Mr. Speaker

Order. I do not know whether the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State did so, unwittingly or not, but I am sure that he will have heard those comments.