§ Mr. Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. I seek your help in respect of a letter from the right hon. Member for Witney (Mr. Hurd). It apparently goes to Conservatives, although it is addressed "Dear Colleague", and it deals with the Conservative party and the European People's party, so it is rather long and embarrassing. I will just read the last paragraph:
Over the next four months, the responsibility for us all is to campaign for a Conservative victory in June's election. A centre-right majority in the European Parliament will strengthen our hand in building the free-market, deregulated and decentralised Europe to which all Conservatives are committed.It is signed "Douglas"—or it could be "Dougie". The important point of the letter is that it has been written under the Foreign and Commonwealth Office letterhead and is addressed from the Secretary of State.The help that I seek is to know whether the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has moved to Smith square or whether the Secretary of State does not know his departmental elbow from his party's arriere-pensee. Will you ask him to come to the House to explain the Foreign Office's new policy of supporting the Conservative party in the forthcoming elections?
§ Madam SpeakerThe hon. Gentleman's point of order is not a matter for the Chair, largely because no House of Commons writing paper is involved. I assume that the Government have their own rules covering these situations. The accounting officer at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office may be interested in the circular. It does not, however, raise a point of order for me, and I cannot help the hon. Gentleman further on it.
§ Mr. David Winnick (Walsall, North)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. Will you confirm that if an hon. Member's question is being dealt with on the Floor of the House the hon. Member should stay at least until the exchanges have ended? As the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Duncan) did not do the House the courtesy of waiting until the exchanges had finished, can you tell us why he hurried away? Was he being sought by the district auditor who is looking into the affairs of Westminster council.
§ Madam SpeakerOut of the corner of my eye I caught sight of the hon. Gentleman leaving before answers to his question had been completed. I consider it a great discourtesy to the House and to me as Speaker in calling the Member, and I hope that all Members will note that in future, when their questions are being debated on the Floor of the House, they should remain in the Chamber until their questions have finished.
§ Mr. Alan Duncan (Rutland and Melton)I unreservedly apologise, Madam Speaker, for leaving as I did. I did not realise that question 7 was still being discussed. I apologise fully for leaving as early as I did.
§ Mr. Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. I understand that in another place yesterday Earl Ferrers, the Minister of State, Home Office, announced that it was the Government's intention to introduce and railroad through a one-clause Bill rectifying their error on the Railways Act 1993 in order to restore the 882 right of arrest to the British Transport police. First, is it correct that the other place should be told on a different day from the House of Commons of the intention to introduce emergency legislation? Secondly, will a Minister make a statement about this legislation to rectify the Government's botch-up?
§ Madam SpeakerNothing out of order has taken place. We shall, of course, be informed about the Bill when it comes before the House.
§ Mr. David Harris (St. Ives)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. I wonder whether you, as the ultimate authority on the good running of the House, have received any report about this morning's proceedings in Standing Committee A with regard to scrutiny of a document. The Select Committee on European Legislation referred the document to the Standing Committee 16 months ago, but it arrived only today—
§ Madam SpeakerOrder. The hon. Gentleman, as a long-standing Member of the House, understands our proceedings. This Chamber cannot concern itself with developments in a Committee until the Committee's Chairman has reported to the House on any irregularities that may have occurred. I should hope that, in the case of any irregularities, the Chairman would report to me so that they could be dealt with in the normal way.
§ Mr. Harrisrose—
§ Madam SpeakerIf this is a point of order with which I can deal, I must, of course, hear it. However, I hope that the hon. Gentleman will bear in mind what I have just said and will not raise matters occurring in a Committee upstairs, which should have an opportunity to report to the House.
§ Mr. HarrisI accept what you say, Madam Speaker, and I appreciate the point. That is why I asked the Chairman of your Panel to refer the matter. It is absolutely disgraceful that it has taken 16 months for such an issue to be referred to the relevant Committee. I hope that the Panel Chairman will pursue the issue at the request of the Committee.
§ Madam SpeakerIt is not a matter for me, but as the hon. Lady has an involvement in the matter I must hear whether she has a point of order.
§ Mrs. DunwoodyIt relates to the same point of order, Madam Speaker. The difficulty for the House of Commons is that ours is a scrutiny Committee and this is an auditor's report. Whatever the rights or wrongs of the situation, we ask for the protection of the Chair. If the House of Commons makes arrangements for Committee scrutiny of European legislation, and if that legislation is not referred in good order and in good time, the House of Commons fails to perform its proper task. That is the point that the hon. Member for St. Ives (Mr. Harris) and the rest of us wish to bring very forcefully to your attention.
§ Madam SpeakerIn that case, I shall certainly look into the matter.
§ Dr. Tony Wright (Cannock and Burntwood)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. Have you received from the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster any 883 communication about the need for a statement on the citizens charter? As you may know, the second report under the charter is being published this afternoon. On every previous occasion, a statement has been made to the House. Indeed, the Minister concerned spoke on the radio this morning about the charter programme. We have been told that the charter is the centrepiece, the flagship, of the Government's programme. Does the absence of a statement indicate that the flagship is being allowed to sink?
§ Madam SpeakerI have not been informed that a Minister is seeking to make a statement. Of course, the hon. Gentleman will have an opportunity later in the week to seek further information from the Government.
§ Mr. Dennis Skinner (Bolsover)The Minister for Social Security and Disabled People, who is present today, will recall that on Friday the Civil Rights (Disabled People) Bill was given a Second Reading, with more than 200 Members voting in favour of it, and none against. The Bill that my hon. Friend the Member for Tyne Bridge (Mr. Clelland) introduced, which also went through unopposed, has now been saddled with countless amendments, many of them tabled by the hon. Member for High Peak (Mr. Hendry). Will you, Madam Speaker, allow the Minister for Social Security and Disabled People to tell us whether he will permit a practice designed to obstruct the Bill, and will he give us a guarantee of extra parliamentary time to enable the legislation to go through all its stages?
§ Madam SpeakerMinisters do not require my permission to make a statement. This is not a point of order for the Chair. However, Ministers will no doubt have noted the hon. Gentleman's comments.
§ Mr. Charles Hendry (High Peak)Further to that point of order, Madam Speaker.
§ Madam SpeakerIt cannot be a further point of order as the last point was not a point of order in the first place.
§ Mr. HendryIt is a new point.
§ Madam SpeakerVery well.
§ Mr. HendryIs it in order for an hon. Member to criticise another hon. Member for tabling amendments to legislation that will affect every consumer in the country? It seems that the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner) would allow two and a half hours for debate or seek to have the legislation put through on the nod. Is it in order for him, without giving warning, to try to deprive other Members of an opportunity to debate such an important matter in detail?
§ Madam SpeakerI said originally that the hon. Gentleman did not have a point of order for me. I think that it is a matter of personalities. Hon. Members might try to have their exchanges elsewhere, not in the Chamber.
§ Mr. Graham Riddick (Colne Valley)On a point of order, Madam Speaker.
§ Madam SpeakerIs it a new one?
§ Mr. RiddickIt is a new point of order, Madam Speaker.
§ Madam SpeakerHas the hon. Gentleman just thought it up?
§ Mr. RiddickYes.
§ Madam SpeakerYes, I thought as much.
§ Mr. RiddickI have just thought it up, Madam Speaker.
§ Madam SpeakerOr dreamed it up.
§ Mr. RiddickMight not the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner) have had to ask his question because he never serves on Committees—
§ Madam SpeakerOrder. I knew that I was making a mistake when I agreed to listen to the hon. Gentleman. We now have a ten-minute Bill, which will make much more sense, no doubt.