§ Mr. SpeakerFollowing points of order yesterday, I have looked at the further document handed in by the hon. Member for Workington (Mr. Campbell-Savours) yesterday which purports to be an extract from the official minute of the meeting held on 17 October between the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and Sir John Cuckney. I note that there are only minor differences between this extract, and the words quoted by the hon. Member from the minute which he said he was using when he put his original point of order to me on Monday.
These differences do not affect the ruling I have already given that the passage in the speech of the Secretary of State, of which complaint has been made, was not a quotation. It is to be expected that if an accurate account is to be given to the House of a meeting, doubtless some words will be found to be common to both the account and any record of that meeting. But our rule is concerned solely with quotation, and I have ruled that there was no quotation on this occasion.
I confirm what I said yesterday. I am not responsible for looking behind what is said in the House to check whether words used by Ministers are also to be found in official documents. It would put an impossible burden on any Speaker to ask him to do that. I intend to continue to uphold the house's rule on this matter as set out in "Erskine May" which has now been quoted several times, and in so doing, I shall be continuing to act in exactly the same way as my predecessors have done.
§ Mr. D. N. Campbell-Savours (Workington)On a point of order Mr. Speaker.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I have made my ruling and nothing arises.
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursI merely wish to thank you for your ruling, Mr. Speaker.
§ Mr. Andrew Faulds (Warley, East)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I have another point of order altogether.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I shall take it after the business statement.