§ Mr. Norman Hogg (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. I seek your advice on an important matter for the House. It is certainly a proper point of order, and I shall be brief.
At the weekend the Scottish National party national executive met and passed a vote of confidence in the three Scottish Nationalist Members of Parliament, who are popularly known in Scotland as the "Wee Three". They had to vote for themselves, otherwise the motion of confidence would have been lost. What is really worrying is that three members of the cabinet have resigned over the matter—that is, the cabinet of the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan (Mr. Salmond). You may not be aware that he has a cabinet, Madam Speaker. The national executive has said that it will seek the development of emergency procedures for "greater consultation" between Members of Parliament and the national executive. Clearly it is intent on influencing, confining and coercing three Members of this House.
"Erskine May", chapter 5, states on page 69, among other things, that
the House cannot perform its functions without unimpeded use of the services of its Members.I believe that the national executive of the SNP is in breach of privilege, and that that is a matter on which I should write to you, Madam Speaker.
§ Madam SpeakerOrder. I remind the hon. Gentleman and the House that, according to our procedures, as that matter concerns other hon. Members, he should have informed them of his concern.
§ Mr. HoggYou know me very well, Madam Speaker. You can be assured that I wrote to the parliamentary leader of the Scottish National party——
§ Madam SpeakerOrder. I am not seeking to enter into a debate; I made a comment. I take it that the hon. Member has advised the hon. Members concerned. I remind him——
§ Mr. Dennis Skinner (Bolsover)On a point of order, Madam Speaker.
§ Madam SpeakerOrder. I have not finished; I am on my feet.
As the hon. Member for Cumbernauld and Kilsyth (Mr. Hogg) said, it may well be a matter of contempt or privilege, and that being the case the hon. Gentleman should write to me about it.
§ Mr. Skinnerrose——
§ Mr. Jeremy Corbyn (Islington, North)rose——
§ Madam SpeakerThat is the end of the matter. There can be no further points of order on it. I have dealt with it.
§ Mr. SkinnerOn a point of order, Madam Speaker.
§ Madam SpeakerIs it a different point of order?
§ Mr. SkinnerYes, it is.
§ Madam SpeakerIn that case, I shall take it.
§ Mr. SkinnerOn a point of order, Madam Speaker. As you know, Opposition parties get what is colloquially known as Short money. There is a point here that applies to the House as a whole, and in which you are bound to have an interest. Now that this debacle has taken place in the Scottish National party, who will receive the money? We are talking about taxpayers' money. Who will it be handed over to—the executive body or the leader of the SNP?
§ Madam SpeakerI put the hon. Gentleman on his honour when I asked whether his point of order related to the former point of order. I should have known better.
§ Mr. CorbynOn a point of order, Madam Speaker.
§ Madam SpeakerI put the hon. Gentleman on his honour. He must not usurp the time of the House to ask about a matter that I have already dealt with. He may proceed if it is on a totally different matter.
§ Mr. CorbynIt could not be a more different point of order, Madam Speaker. I am sure that you read the newspapers at the weekend, as many of us did, and saw the disturbing reports that the Prime Minister managed to raise £17 million for the Conservative party by holding private dinners at 10 Downing street. By what means can we question the Prime Minister about his use of Downing street as a fund-raising agency for the Conservative party and about what undertakings were given in return for the secret donations made to the Tory party election machine so that we may know how Government policy has been influenced?
§ Madam SpeakerThe hon. Gentleman assumes quite a lot. I have much more to do at the weekends than read the national press. The hon. Gentleman should not expect answers on procedural matters of that nature to be given by the Chair across the Floor of the House. We must now move on.