HC Deb 17 November 1986 vol 105 c303
22. Mr. Winnick

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he last made a ministerial broacast; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Tebbit

Never and no.

Mr. Winnick

Considering the state of the Tory party under the right hon. Gentleman's chairmanship, that is understandable. If he were to make such a broadcast, how could he explain that his bullying attacks on the BBC apparently found no support at a recent meeting of the Conservative Home Affairs Committee, and certainly not from the public at large? Why does the right hon. Gentleman not admit that his bullying attacks on the BBC were not concerned with how the Libyan raids were reported, but that he was attempting to soften up and intimidate the broadcasting authorities in the pre-election period?

Mr. Tebbit

What the hon. Gentleman does not understand is that it was not the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster who made the complaint to the BBC. It was the chairman of the Conservative party. From my reading of the letters from the chairman of the Conservative party, I understand that he was not bullying or softening up the BBC, but that he was asking it to maintain the standards which it is required to maintain under the charter, the licence and the agreement between the BBC and Her Majesty's Government.

Mr. Beaumont-Dark

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker: I shall take it afterwards.

Mr. Skinner

When the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster gives a ministerial broadcast, will he explain why he made charges against the BBC regarding Libya but did not make any charges against the "World in Action" programme that specifically named him and said that Abdul Shamji had used his name and the Prime Minister's name to obtain money from Johnson Matthey bank? He could not pay it back and as a result has been described as a crook by one of the judges. If he has made no complaint about the "World in Action" programme, and as he has not sued it, can we assume that everything that came out on that programme is correct?

Mr. Tebbit

The hon. Gentleman would not be wise to make that assumption. Just because someone lays a trail of slime, in the way the hon. Gentleman normally does, a complaint to the BBC is not required.

Mr. Nellist

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker

I will take it afterwards. I always take points of order arising out of questions after questions.