§ Mr. Phil Gallie (Ayr)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. Is it in order for Government Members to congratulate Scottish National party Members on converting so many Labour Members to their party colours?
§ Madam SpeakerIt is for individual Members to congratulate whom they wish.
§ Mr. Roger Berry (Kingswood)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. The Minister for Social Security and Disabled People is not only the hon. Member who misled the House on Friday. The hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Lady Olga Maitland), to whom I have given notice that I would be raising this matter, said on Friday:
the new clause and amendments were mine and mine only"—[Official Report, 6 May 1994; Vol. 242, c. 974.].Yesterday the hon. Lady said:it would be totally unfair to suggest that they came from any other source."—[Official Report, 9 May 1994; Vol. 243, c. 23.]It is clear that, along with the Minister, the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam has misled the House. Has the hon. Lady requested your permission, Madam Speaker, to make a similar statement of apology to her colleagues?
§ Madam SpeakerI have not received any such indication from the hon. Lady.
§ Mr. Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield)Further to that point of order, Madam Speaker.
§ Madam SpeakerJust a moment. I am answering a point of order, and I am on my feet.
Of course, I cannot investigate the accuracy of everything that hon. Members say to the House, but the hon. Member for Kingswood (Mr. Berry) is alleging a very serious parliamentary offence. Therefore, as he and the House know, the hon. Gentleman must write to me. If it is a matter of privilege, it will be dealt with.
§ Mr. SheermanFurther to that point of order, Madam Speaker.
§ Madam SpeakerThere can be no further points of order on that matter.
§ Mr. SheermanOn a point of order, Madam Speaker. The hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Lady Olga Maitland) accused me directly of casting a slur on her reputation and yesterday in the House asserted that the Labour party was trying to use disabled people as a political football. Will the hon. Member get off scot free again?
§ Madam SpeakerProviding that what is said by the hon. Lady, or by any hon. Member, is within the rules and procedures of the House, I have no alternative but to accept it. [Interruption.] Order. I cannot investigate every comment which is made by hon. Members on both sides of the House.
§ Mr. Dennis Skinner (Bolsover)We have heard—not today, because we cannot question a personal statement, but on previous occasions—that the Government allowed amendments to be drafted which would suit the Government. What has not been explained properly, but what ought to be, is that those amendments were drafted 157 not to suit the Government but so that the Government could turn them down. That is not what the Minister told us today. The Government were so Machiavellian that they drew up amendments which they could conveniently say they were not prepared to accept. That is the dirty manoeuvre, and that is why the Minister should resign.
§ Mr. Oliver Heald (Hertfordshire, North)Further to that point of order—
§ Madam SpeakerOrder. I will not take any further points of order on that matter. That was not a point of order, in any event.
§ Madam SpeakerIf the hon. Gentleman has a point of order, I will hear it. The hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner) only made a comment. It was a bogus point of order.
§ Mr. D. N. Campbell-Savours (Workington)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. I have written to you on the issue of contempt, and I have accused the Minister of being in contempt of the House—
§ Madam SpeakerOrder. I cannot hear the hon. Gentleman's point of order. He has written to me on a matter of contempt and privilege. I must deal with it in that way.
§ Mr. Gordon McMaster (Paisley, South)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. Is not the central issue that we have heard a personal statement from the Minister that the Government were involved in dirty tricks to try to block the Bill on Friday?
§ Madam SpeakerThe hon. Gentleman must understand our procedures. There can be no proceedings after a personal statement.
§ Mr. McMasterFurther to that, Madam Speaker. We now have a decision of the House which surely should not stand because of the tactics which were deployed. Can we have another opportunity to report the Bill?
§ Madam SpeakerIf hon. Members wish to pursue the question of the future of the Bill, they must find other ways of doing so. It is not a matter for me.
§ Mr. Mike O'Brien: (Warwickshire, North)On a point of order, Madam Speaker.
§ Madam SpeakerDoes it relate?
§ Mr. O'BrienIt relates—
§ Madam SpeakerOrder. I think the hon. Gentleman is thinking on his feet. Is it a point of order for me? It had better be.
§ Mr. O'BrienMy point of order is this. On a statement such as the personal statement that we have heard today, which related to an incident in the House of great importance to all of us, is a different procedure available to Ministers by which they could make such statements which would allow us to question them about it? They are serious matters.
§ Madam SpeakerThe answer is no. Perhaps we can move on.