§ Mr. Hugh Dykes (Harrow, East)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. On 8 December, a bizarre meeting was organised at a west end club by my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford (Mr. Cash), to whom I have given notice of this point of order. He was evoking the presence of a French political leader at a meeting that he was also to address, sending the letter out by way of a circular on House of Commons notepaper to other Members' constituents. A constituent in Harrow let me have the letter yesterday afternoon.
I am disturbed not only by the fact that a Member has addressed other Members' constituents without referral but by the fact that many hundreds of circular letters on official House of Commons notepaper have presumably been sent out in official House of Commons envelopes using official stamps. I should be grateful for your guidance, Madam Speaker, in this serious matter.
§ Mr. Dennis Skinner (Bolsover)Further to that point of order, Madam Speaker. It is clear that vicious warfare has broken out on the Tory Benches just before Christmas. Before you answer the hon. Gentleman's point of order, and as you have control over the matter, I suggest that you separate them, with the anti-marketeers on one side and the marketeers on the other—[Interruption.] We have already done it on this side. We made that decision a long time ago. You will have to do it for them, Madam Speaker, now that the Maastricht Bill is on the agenda for the week when we return.
§ Mr. Phil Gallie (Ayr)On a point of order, Madam Speaker.
§ Madam SpeakerDoes it relate to this matter?
§ Mr. GallieYes, it does.
§ Madam SpeakerI know that it is the season of good will. I did not think that I would need to take the matter further, because I have a response, but if the hon. Gentleman can throw new light on the matter, I must hear him.
§ Mr. GallieFurther to the point of order, on the matter raised by the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner)—
§ Madam SpeakerOrder. I answer points of order; Hon. Members do not.
In response to the point of order by the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner) about dividing Members of Parliament, let me make it clear that I like hon. Members to sit exactly where they usually sit, because I know then where I can find them and keep an eye on them.
On the more serious point of the use of stationery and House of Commons envelopes, that is a matter for the Serjeant at Arms, with whom I shall be raising the matter.
§ Mr. George Galloway (Glasgow, Hillhead)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. You must be aware that Scottish Question Time today was the site of, and the vehicle for, a concerted abuse of the Order Paper. Four out of the first 10 Scottish questions had been tabled by English Conservative Members. Several other English Conservative Members had, unusually, come into the 445 Chamber to ask supplementary questions. I know that you are aware, Madam Speaker, of the deep offence that this causes in Scotland. We get only one hour a month in which to question Scottish Office Ministers and to hold them to account for their stewardship of our country. If that hour is taken up by a concerted effort, presumably organised by someone, to dominate Question Time, deep offence and deep damage to Parliament's reputation, and to that of the Union, is caused in Scotland.
To add insult to injury—this is new material that I ask you to consider, Madam Speaker—the concerted effort was not just to dominate the Order Paper but to spread foul smears against my right hon. and learned Friend the Leader of the Opposition and against councillors elected by the people in the Monklands district, a district that has almost certainly never been seen, and could not be identified on a map, by the large number of Conservative Members who were throwing their buckets of smears at people who were not in the House to answer for themselves.
Will you consider this matter, Madam Speaker, before the reputation of the House and Scottish Question Time is further diminished to the point of negligibility in the country of Scotland whose Question Time it is supposed to be?
§ Mr. John Home Robertson (East Lothian)Further to that point of order, Madam Speaker.
§ Madam SpeakerOrder. Let me answer the first point of order.
I do not believe that Scottish Question Time is diminished in the eyes of the House or of the public in the United Kingdom. The hon. Gentleman knows that there can be no manipulation of the Order Paper because questions are drawn by ballot. A place on the Order Paper is achieved through the luck of the draw. I remind the hon. Gentleman that this is a United Kingdom Parliament and hon. Members representing any part of the United Kingdom are entitled to ask questions and supplementaries relating to the regions of England, Northern Ireland or Wales, and to be called to do so.
Furthermore, I attempt to ensure that a proper balance is achieved. Therefore, there can be no concerted manipulation of the Order Paper because it is my responsibility to ensure that no one group, or no handful of hon. Members, on whichever side of the House, can manipulate or in any way use the Order Paper to their advantage. That remains my responsibility. I am particularly concerned at Scottish Question Time to ensure that there is fair play and that, when any antagonistic or abrasive questions are raised, there is always ample opportunity for proper rebuttal, from whichever side.
§ Mr. Home RobertsonFurther to that point of order, Madam Speaker. This House and the government of the United Kingdom are being brought into disrepute in the eyes of many people in Scotland, and if Conservative Members carry on conducting themselves as they have in recent months and years, the Union will be endangered.
I appeal to you, Madam Speaker, to reflect on certain aspects of recent Scottish Question Times. I recognise your important duty to protect the interests of minorities in the House, including the apparently growing minority of English Tories who want to put questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland. I agree that they are entitled to do that; but is it absolutely necessary to call such a high proportion of that minority at Scottish Question Time? Today we heard from Hendon, Reading, Thanet, Basildon, Dover, Uxbridge and Altrincham and Sale—most of these Members expressing a new-found interest in the affairs of Monklands district council, an interest likely to have been inspired by Tory Whips.
Will you reflect on the limited rights of the Scottish majority? Sixty-one of the 72 seats in Scotland are represented by members of Opposition parties, and the odds against our being able to raise issues on behalf of our constituents seem to be growing ever longer, to the point where our constituents wonder whether we are here.
§ Madam SpeakerIf I am asked in a reasonable manner, I will always reflect on the way Question Time is conducted, but I do not think that Scottish Members do badly at Scottish Question Time or at any other Question Time.