§ Mr. Chris Mullin (Sunderland, South)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. It will be within your recollection that, on 19 October 1989, the Home Secretary came to the House to announce the setting up of a judicial inquiry into the Guildford and Woolwich convictions under a former High Court judge, Sir John May. Tomorrow, four years and eight months later, Sir John May is due to report. In stark contrast to Lord Justice Scott's inquiry, much of Sir John's inquiry has been conducted in private, and it is difficult to discover any details about the publication of its report tomorrow.
My purpose is to ask whether it would be possible for you, Madam Speaker, to persuade the Home Office to arrange for a statement to be made in the House tomorrow on the results of that judicial inquiry so that we may question its outcome, or, failing that, to be a little more open with the details of where and when the report will be published.
§ Madam SpeakerThe hon. Gentleman credits me with greater powers of persuasion than I actually have as well as a very good memory. I am sorry that I cannot take the matter further than that.
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennett (Denton and Reddish)Further to that point of order, Madam Speaker. I have just listened to your ruling that you cannot take further the question of a statement, but you will be well aware of the practice by which it appears that Ministers persuade individual Members to put down questions for answer at short notice. I believe that on today's Order Paper there about 10 questions which were tabled yesterday for answer today. Is it possible for you at least to draw that practice to the attention of the House so that it can be used today in order that we can discover whether the report of the inquiry will be published by means of a written answer or given in a statement?
§ Madam SpeakerThe hon. Gentleman should make inquiries at the Table Office. That is not a point of order for me at this stage.