Points of Order (Hansard, 2 February 1988)

§ Mrs. Alice Mahon (Halifax)
rose—

Hon. Members
A point of order.

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. I can see without any help.

§ Mrs. Mahon
Today I was contacted by the parents of a two-month old constituent who was not able to have a vital heart operation at Killingbeck hospital.

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. It is a little unfair of the hon. Lady to raise this matter. She may have been informed about it today, but the event took place last Wednesday. The hon. Lady must find legitimate ways to bring the matter before the House, not by way of a point of order.

§ Ms. Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent, North)
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. As a new Member of Parliament, I should be grateful if you could advise me on how it might be possible through parliamentary procedure to raise the important point that throughout the country there is support for an extra 2p on tax being put towards the National Health Service.

§ Mr. Speaker
If the hon. Lady would like to come and see me one evening with a friend, I should be delighted to tell her.

Mr. Eric S. Heifer (Liverpool, Walton)
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. My hon. Friend the Member for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon) had not progressed very far in her point before you intervened, Mr. Speaker. Would it not be right for you, Mr. Speaker, at least to hear my hon. Friend's point of order before intervening? My hon. Friend may have been asking whether she could raise a debate in the House and how should she do that. You did not give her that chance.

§ Mr. Speaker
I do know about this. Has the hon. Member for Liverpool, Walton (Mr. Heffer) asked his hon. Friend the Member for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon) whether she has received any advice about the matter?

§ Mrs. Mahon
rose—

§ Mr. Dennis Skinner (Bolsover)
Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. We have relatively new hon. Members in the Chamber who have been here for only six months, who have never raised a point of order—or very few—and certainly have never made a Standing Order No. 20 application. These matters can be more than a little difficult for such Members. Sometimes they make their representations to you, Mr. Speaker, and others to try to raise a matter. Some of us know that my hon. Friend the Member for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon) was concerned about the plight of a baby who had been in hospital and was subsequently refused admission—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. I do not need any help. I know more about this matter than the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner). I accept that hon. Members who have not been Members for very long need a little guidance and advice. I am always willing and prepared to give it, and in this case I did give it.

§ Mrs. Mahon
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.

§ Mr. Speaker
No.

§ Mrs. Mahon
Disgraceful.

§ Mr. Heffer
It is disgraceful.

§ Ms. Marjorie Mowlam (Redcar)
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. As a new Member of Parliament, and without having an evening engagement with you, will you advise me about how to raise the question of the Confederation of Health Service Employees' National Health charter that was launched today?

§ Mr. Speaker
The hon. Lady does not need to seek advice from me on that matter.

§ Mrs. Mahon
rose—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. This is an abuse of our proceedings.

Mr. Heifer
It is your abuse.

§ Mr. Speaker
That is reprehensible of the hon. Gentleman, who knows nothing about the background to this matter—or perhaps he does.

§ Mrs. Mahon
rose—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. So that there will be no mystery about this, I must tell the hon. Lady that I was unable to accept her application for a Standing Order No. 20 debate because in her letter to me she said that she was raising the matter of an operation that was cancelled last Wednesday. If the hon. Lady consults Standing Order No. 20 —which binds me and all other hon. Members—she will discover that the matter to be raised must be urgent, specific and important and must be raised at the first opportunity. The hon. Lady may have only just heard about it, but the truth is that nearly a week has passed. I can only go by what the hon. Lady states in her application.

§ Mr. Jeremy Corbyn (Islington, North)
rose—

§ Mr. John Battle (Leeds, West)
rose—

§ Mr. Speaker
Very well—

§ Mr. Corbyn
Him or me?

§ Mr. Speaker
Him.

§ Mr. Battle
Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. As a relatively new Member of Parliament, may I state that, as I have listened to you this afternoon, I have become increasingly confused about what Standing Order No. 20 refers to. If it is not urgent and specific to raise the case of a child needing an operation—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. Let me say to the whole House that when I was chosen to be your Speaker I was expected to ensure that our Standing Orders were kept. I am doing that today. I do not think that the hon. Members who are rising now would wish the Speaker to bend the Standing Orders. I cannot do that.
I am afraid that I have said more than I wanted to say, but, as the matter has been raised in this way, let me repeat that the hon. Member for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon) has been to see me. The position has been fully explained to her, and she has been advised what she can do about it. I have sought to help her, but I cannot allow her to raise the matter by way of a point of order.

Several Hon. Members
rose—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. I am not prepared to take any more points of order on this matter.

Several Hon. Members
rose—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. I am not prepared to take any more points of order on this.