§ Mr. David Winnick (Walsall, North)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. The report by the royal commission on standards of conduct in public life published in 1976 referred to the membership of Parliament as a great honour carrying with it a special duty to maintain the highest standards—a duty which applies no less to Ministers. Can you give us a ruling on the need to separate the daily workings of Departments of State from purely party matters? I shall not refer to special cases, including the one involving the Home Office searching for records relating to President-elect Clinton, but could you make it clear—arising out of Lord Salmon's report, much discussed at the time inside and outside this House—that there must be such a separation? If there is not, Departments of State such as the Home Office and the Treasury will be seen as no more than extensions of Conservative Central Office. No matter whether we think of recent events surrounding the Chancellor or of the problem of who authorised the inquiries into President-elect Clinton's past, would it be possible for you to make it clear that there must be a separation between Departments of State and purely Conservative party matters?
§ Madam SpeakerThis is a matter on which the House itself must debate and arrive at conclusions. Rulings on a subject as wide ranging as that which the hon. Gentleman has raised cannot come from the Chair. It is for the House itself to come to conclusions on these matters.
§ Mr. Tony Marlow (Northampton, North)On a different point of order, Madam Speaker, concerning an area on which I would very much like your advice and quite possibly your help.
You will be aware that the BBC has conducted a massive survey of public opinion. We all know that public opinion surveys are quite often inaccurate, but this one was so large that there must have been an element of accuracy about it. You will know that 75 per cent. of the people interviewed believe that this House should allow them a referendum on the Maastricht treaty. We had one on joining the Common Market. This is about joining a European union—[Interruption.]
§ Madam SpeakerOrder. I am trying to listen to the hon. Gentleman's point of order.
§ Mr. MarlowHaving seen what has happened in France, Denmark and Ireland where there have been referendums, your constituents and mine, Madam Speaker, would be miffed, to put it mildly, if the House was not able to debate such an issue. Can you say how you can help us to get something in order so that the House may debate this issue, which is important for your constituents and mine?
§ Madam SpeakerIn short, no. The hon. Gentleman knows that that is not a matter for the Chair and he should not try such back-door methods to suggest that I should make other pronouncements. The answer from the Chair is a firm no.
§ Mr. Dennis Skinner (Bolsover)Further to the point of order raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) about the question of the register, you will have noticed, Madam Speaker, that, during business questions, since the election some of my hon. Friends have made requests about publication of the register. It seems to be taking a long time. We would like to see the entries. Could it be that publication is being held up because of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's entry and so on? May I draw your attention to the fact that it may also be because the President of the Board of Trade, as he calls himself, has a problem since his last entry in the register was different from his entry about Haymarket Press——
§ Madam SpeakerOrder. I doubt that it is any of those reasons. I am sure that the Register of Members' Interests will be produced as soon as possible. The hon. Gentleman's ideas do not hold very much water.
§ Mr. Jeremy Corbyn (Islington, North)Further to the point of order raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick), I appreciate your ruling, Madam Speaker. You seemed to intimate that the issue would have to be debated. May I have your assurance that not just the fact of the investigation of Bill Clinton's records within the Home Office but the fact of the existence of those records will be legitimate subjects for debate in the House?
§ Madam SpeakerThe hon. Gentleman should look at what I said. I said that it was not a matter on which I could give advice, but that it was a matter for the House to debate should it wish to do so.
§ Mr. Tony Banks (Newham, North-West)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. As you are aware, the Metropolitan police have been conducting a number of stop-and-search exercises in connection with cowardly acts of terrorism perpetrated in London. Have you been consulted by the Metropolitan police on such searches taking place well within the one-mile radius of the House of Commons and about the fact that a number of hon. Members have been stopped? There is no reason why they should not be stopped——
§ Mr. Geoffrey Dickens (Littleborough and Saddleworth)Quite right.
§ Madam SpeakerAs the hon. Gentleman will understand, and as I am sure the entire House will appreciate, I have no intention whatever of discussing security matters across the Floor of the House.