§ Mr. Nigel Spearing (Newham, South)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. You will be aware that, under Standing Order 127, the Select Committee on European Legislation has a duty to report to the House when there arise matters of legal and political importance with regard to documents that have been laid before the Council of Ministers. The Standing Order refers also to documents laid by one institution of the Community with another. You will be aware also that, unlike the treaty on European Union, which was signed at Maastricht, the negotiations between the Union and membership applicants are a matter not for intergovernmental negotiations but for decision by the institutions of the Community and its Council within its own treaties. Documents relating to the blocking minority figures 23 and 27 have been laid before the Council and, indeed, were discussed last week and will be discussed tomorrow.
Are you, Madam Speaker, aware that no report relating to the matters placed before the Select Committee on European Legislation has been made by memorandum? As hon. Members are under the impression that the resolution of the House of 24 October 1990 requires Ministers not to take decisions before such scrutiny has taken place, are not the Government beholden to report by memorandum and by placing those documents before the House so that hon. Members may have an opportunity to debate their merits and, indeed, their importance before a Minister indicates accession or agreement? Will you, Madam Speaker, so rule?
§ Madam SpeakerI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for giving me notice of his intention to raise this matter. I can only repeat to him and to the House what I have already said to the hon. Member for Stafford (Mr. Cash): that no text relevant to the issue he wishes to debate is available for scrutiny by the Select Committee on European Legislation. The chapter entitled "Institutions" in the document that has been made available is not yet agreed, but the document itself relates to a process that is actually taking place between national Governments. National Parliaments are not, therefore, yet involved, and nothing has happened that involves the responsibility of the Chair of this House. I regret that at this stage I am unable to help the hon. Gentleman further.
§ Mr. SpearingI am much obliged to you, Madam Speaker, for your ruling relating to that resolution. Will you please confirm that, whereas the Government may have—indeed, have—laid before the House documents 22 concerning legislation relating to tobacco advertising, to the social matters that are to be debated this Wednesday and to harmonisation of postal services, and whereas the House may debate those, the Government will not be required to take this action unless the resolution is changed? But nor does the resolution debar the Government from placing the documents if they so wish.
§ Madam SpeakerI think that my statement is absolutely clear, if the hon. Gentleman will look at it.
§ Mr. Paul Flynn (Newport, West)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. I want to raise with you the important subject of the accountability of Ministers to this House. Information from the evidence of Mr. Alan Moses to the Scott inquiry became available to hon. Members only this morning. The subject was raised during questions to the Attorney-General and he brushed aside questions by saying that the House will have to wait until Thursday, when he gives his evidence to the Scott inquiry.
Although the Attorney-General has a duty to give evidence to the Scott inquiry, surely he has a more important duty to give evidence to this House. Will you, Madam Speaker, rule that the accountability of Law Officers to this House is supreme and indivisible?
§ Madam SpeakerMinisters are of course free to reply to questions in their own way; it is not for the Speaker to put words into their mouths. But if Members are not satisfied, they can seek to pursue issues by way of debate. They cannot, however, insist on being given information in the form that they would like at Question Time. It is up to a Minister to answer as he thinks fit at Question Time.
§ Mr. Jeremy Corbyn (Islington, North)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. You will recall that my hon. Friend the Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Madden) and I, at business questions last Thursday, raised the issue of the treatment of asylum seekers by the Home Office, and the fact that more than 100 people are on hunger strike. I understand that they have been dispersed to prisons throughout the country—their only crime, seeking asylum in this country.
May I ask whether the Home Secretary has given you any intimation of his intention to hold a meeting with hon. Members who have written to him asking for such a meeting, or of his intention to come to the House to make a statement on the appalling travesty of justice that is taking place in this country?
§ Madam SpeakerI cannot answer the hon. Gentleman's first question—I do not know the intentions of the Home Secretary—but I can tell him that I have not been. informed that any Minister is seeking to make a statement on that issue.