§ Mr. John Austin-Walker (Woolwich)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. I have raised this matter with your office and I am grateful for the advice that I received. I appreciate that you are not able to deal with a question of privilege on the Floor of the House, but I seek your guidance on a related matter.
I sought guidance from the Clerks, and I appreciate that there is another remedy regarding statements made in the House on Wednesday by the hon. Member for Billericay (Mrs. Gorman), and I have sought that redress by means of early-day motion 477. I seek your guidance on whether a question of privilege is relevant in reporting the proceedings of the House.
I understand that the Select Committee on Procedure, in Session 1988–89, indicated that, in reporting the proceedings of the House outside, defence against an action for defamation
will not extend to the reporting of a selected passage, if the selection can be shown to have been made with intent to injure.I seek your guidance, Madam Speaker, on whether outside repetition of the inaccurate allegations by the hon. Member for Billericay would be privileged.
§ Madam SpeakerI am sure that the hon. Gentleman appreciates that it is impossible for me to give legal advice across the Floor of the House. I appreciate the way in which he has put his point of order. He knows that he cannot resuscitate an earlier debate by means of a point of order and, as he rightly says, he has expressed his views by means of early-day motion 477. If he will allow me to look at what he has said this morning, I will be in touch with him.