§ Mr. Gordon McMaster (Paisley, South)On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. You will recall that, at the height of the cash-for-questions sleaze controversy last month, a number of Conservative Members, not least among them the Prime Minister, accused Mr. Al Fayed, the chairman of Harrods, of attempting to blackmail the Government by threatening to reveal ministerial impropriety. You will recall also that the Prime Minister referred those allegations to the legal authorities.
Your duties in the Chair this morning, Mr. Deputy Speaker, might have prevented you from hearing that the Crown Prosecution Service has stated that Mr. Al Fayed has been cleared of those allegations. In fact, according to the Crown Prosecution Service, the meeting between the Prime Minister and an intermediary did not disclose
the commission of any criminal offence by Mr. Al Fayedandfurther police investigations were not warranted.In the light of that, should not Mr. Al Fayed be given the opportunity to give evidence to the Privileges Committee, so that the truth about that squalid scandal can be revealed to the House and to the—
§ Mr. Deputy Speaker (Mr. Geoffrey Lofthouse)Order. That is a matter not for the Chair but for the Privileges Committee. The Chair has now ruled on it.
§ Mr. Dennis Skinner (Bolsover)On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker.
§ Mr. Deputy SpeakerI hope that it is a different point of order.
§ Mr. SkinnerIt is a different point of order, because I am not going to deal with the Select Committee at all. What concerns me is that, as the charge of blackmail has now been found to be untrue and the Tory paymaster has been let off by the Crown Prosecution Service, it seems necessary for the Prime Minister to come to the House and make a statement—
§ Mr. Deputy SpeakerOrder. It is the same point of order, and I have already ruled on it.
§ Mr. Max Madden (Bradford, West)On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker.
§ Mr. Deputy SpeakerIs it the same point of order?
§ Mr. MaddenI am afraid not, Mr. Deputy Speaker. You will know that, as a result of statements made in the House, the Prime Minister has refused to answer parliamentary questions on those matters. Is it now in order for hon. Members to table questions concerning the Department of Trade and Industry report into the House of Fraser? I should like guidance from you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, on whether questions about those matters are now permissible. As you know, they have been blocked for a considerable time. If it is possible for such questions to be tabled, I seek your guidance, as I believe that it is very important indeed that Mr. Al Fayed now has an opportunity of giving his version—
§ Mr. Deputy SpeakerOrder. I can deal with that point. The hon. Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Madden) has 902 been a Member for a long time. He knows that, if he supplies his questions to the Table Office, it will advise on whether they are in order.