§ Mr. Dave Nellist (Coventry, South-East)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Could you advise the House whether you have received from the Secretary of State for Defence an application to make a statement today on the fatal crash of an RAF Meteor jet aircraft within the city of Coventry last Monday? If the Ministry of Defence has not approached you with a request to make a statement, then constituents of mine, who live within 100 yards of that crash, the relatives of Flight Lieutenant Peter Stacey, who heroically gave his life by crashing that aircraft in the only available small piece of land between a school and two adjacent housing estates, arid those within the city of Coventry who are worried about air pageants when low-level flying takes place over densely populated areas, will not understand why that approach has not been made. It would have given the Secretary of State for Defence the opportunity to make a pledge to the House that the crash investigation taking place in Coventry at the moment will, for the sake of my constituents and the relatives of Flight Lieutenant Peter Stacey, be made public.
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Gentleman has made his point. I have received no request for a statement, but I think that the House will agree that it was a courageous act by this young pilot. I am sure that the whole House will appreciate the hon. Gentleman's concern about what happened in his constituency.
§ Mr. Max Madden (Bradford, West)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I have raised with you previously the declared intention of the Department of Health and Social Security not to answer parliamentary questions concerning the social fund that was established on 11 April. Although it establishes an important precedent, it is not that which I wish to raise with you. I wish to raise with you the basis on which the refusal has been made.
The DHSS is to place in the Library regularly full information about the operation of social funds in each of the 500 local offices. I checked this morning with the Library. That information has not been placed there. It was available, or it should have been available, to the DHSS on 19 May.
I am sure that you recognise, Mr. Speaker, that one of your important responsibilities is to ensure that the Executive does not withhold information from the House of Commons. I should be grateful if you would make urgent inquiries as to when that information is to be made available. Failure to place the information in the Library flies in the face of assurances that we were given that there would be the maximum public monitoring of social funds. It denies all those who rely on Hansard for their information the information that is to be concealed from the public and the media by being placed in the Library. It is high time that this information was placed there. I should be most grateful for your assistance.
§ Mr. SpeakerWhat the hon. Gentleman has said will have been heard by the Leader of the House and by those who are sitting on the Treasury Bench. It is a matter for the Government, not for me.
§ Mr. Tony Banks (Newham, North-West)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. When my hon. Friend the Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) sought leave to move the 737 Adjournment of the House under Standing Order No. 20 about the answer of the Secretary of State for Education and Science, you said that you listened with great interest but that you did not feel that it could be discussed under Standing Order No. 20. One obviously accepts that, but surely that is not the end of the matter. I should like to ask you what you intend to do about a Minister who comes to the Dispatch Box and quite clearly misleads the House. According to The Guardian——
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The hon. Gentleman is raising a matter which he knows is not my responsibility. I cannot be held responsible for what Ministers say or what questions are asked. [Interruption.] Order. That is not a matter for the Chair. I can do nothing about it. I am not responsible for answers that are given. Furthermore, I do not know whether they are true or not.
§ Mr. BanksMay I ask you this, Mr. Speaker? If it were shown conclusively that a Minister misled the House, what then would be your attitude?
§ Mr. SpeakerIf the allegation is that a Minister misled the House, the hon. Gentleman should write to me as a matter of privilege.