§ Mr. Norman Tebbit (Chingford)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, arising from Prime Minister's questions. During Prime Minister's questions you very rightly prevented one of my hon. Friends from raising a question concerning the problems in another political party, saying—quite correctly—that they were not of course within the responsibility of the Prime Minister. May I therefore take your advice on exactly how you see the Prime Minister's responsibility for a particular sentence passed by a particular judge in a particular court, because you did, after all, allow a question to be put on that matter?
§ Mr. SpeakerIt is not unusual for questions of that kind to be put to the Front Bench. I listened carefully to the Prime Minister's reply, as I listened carefully to the reply of the Leader of the House on exactly the same matter.
§ Mr. TebbitFurther to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. I did not ask for your advice on whether such questions were or were not usual. I asked for your advice on what was the responsibility of the Prime Minister, which was being questioned.
§ Mr. SpeakerThe right hon. Gentleman has been here for a long time. It is perfectly in order to criticise or to question a sentence; but it is not in order to criticise a judge. That has to be done by motion.
§ Mr. Tebbitrose——
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I do not think that I can help the right hon. Gentleman further.
§ Mr. TebbitBut I hope, Mr. Speaker, that you will be able to help me because, as a Back Bencher, I would want to address questions to Ministers and I would want to be sure that, as I understand it, those questions might be addressed to a Minister, despite the fact that the Minister has no departmental responsibility and that there is no Government responsibility for the matter. Is that what you are telling me, Sir?
§ Mr. SpeakerI am telling the right hon. Gentleman what he knows very well: that in this Chamber, and in his presence when he was on the Front Bench, questions of this kind have been asked and have been answered.
§ Mr. D. N. Campbell-Savours (Workington)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Will you confirm that in the past 12 months the Prime Minister has replied to and commented upon penalties that have been imposed?
§ Mr. SpeakerI have no more to say on the matter. The whole House knows the rules. It is not in order to criticise a judge. That must be done by motion. However, it has always been in order to comment upon sentences.
§ Mr. Dennis Skinner (Bolsover)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. It will delay the debate.
§ Mr. SkinnerMy point of order relates to what has just happened. On leaving the Chamber the right hon. Member for Chingford (Mr. Tebbit), who has just been questioning you, thinking that you were the BBC, muttered that he would deal with the matter in another way. I hope that you will be able to stand up to him in private as well as you have in public.
§ Mr. SpeakerIt is a good thing that I do not hear everything that is said in this Chamber.
§ Mr. James Hill (Southampton, Test)Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. I was sitting right next to my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford (Mr. Tebbit). When he left the Chamber, he made no such remark as has just been alleged.