Points of Order (Hansard, 16 December 1993)

HC Deb 16 December 1993 vol 234 cc1296-300 1296

§ 5.3 pm

§ Mrs. Margaret Beckett (Derby, South)
On a point of order, Madam Speaker. I should be most grateful if you could clarify a point of order which arose during business questions. You will have heard the Lord President asked about the handling of Prime Minister's questions, and you will have heard him say that he had never heard the Leader of the Opposition answer questions, as though that were in the context of Prime Minister's questions.
Will you place it on record and beyond doubt, first, that Question Time—whether for the Prime Minister or any other Minister—is to enable Government policy to be scrutinised by the House; and, secondly, that it would be out of order, and you would take a most serious view, if Labour Members sought to give answers instead of asking questions at that time?

§ The Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Tony Newton)
Madam Speaker, certainly with deference to you—I am not quite sure about the right hon. Lady—I made my position on that absolutely clear in response to a question asked from the Back Benches only a few moments ago.

§ Mr. Iain Duncan-Smith (Chingford)
On a point of order, Madam Speaker. I seek your guidance about Prime Minister's Questions today. While Prime Minister's Questions are normally noisy, it struck me that there was a concerted attempt by Opposition Members to drown the Prime Minister so that Tory Members could not hear him. I wonder whether you think that that is a breach of privilege.

§ Madam Speaker
Many hon. Members enjoy themselves during Question Time, and it is my wish that we have less noise during those exchanges.

§ Mr. Bruce Grocott (The Wrekin)
rose—

§ Madam Speaker
No, let me deal with the point of order raised by the right hon. Lady.
The way in which we conduct our parliamentary system is for the Executive to be accountable to Parliament and to answer questions, whether through parliamentary questions, statements or exchanges during debate. That is the whole basis on which our tradition has been built. The Executive are responsible to Parliament and the House for their conduct of policy.

§ Dr. Norman A. Godman (Greenock and Port Glasgow)
On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

§ Madam Speaker
Does it relate?

§ Dr. Godman
No, it is an entirely different matter, on which I seek your advice.
Yesterday, the statement concerning the joint declaration on Northern Ireland was aided by the placing of copies of the declaration in the Vote Office so that all hon. Members had access to the declaration to which the Prime Minister referred, understandably, in a very liberal way. It seems that a useful precedent was created. This is where I seek your guidance.
When Ministers make statements relating to documents, especially comprehensive ones, it would be useful if those 1297 documents could be placed in the Vote Office at an early time to enable hon. Members to read through them, as we were able to read the declaration yesterday.

§ Sir Peter Emery (Honiton)
Further to that point of order, Madam Speaker. At present, the Procedure Committee is investigating this matter to see whether it can be dealt with as the hon. Gentleman suggests.

§ Madam Speaker
As hon. Members are aware, this matter is raised with me at least once a week. For the moment, it is for the discretion of Ministers as to whether documents are available. I am delighted to hear that the right hon. Gentleman the Chairman of the Procedure Committee is looking into the matter.