§ Sir Cranley Onslow (Woking)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. During Question Time you let fall a comment on the absence of some hon. Members who had tabled questions for oral answer. I am not sure that what you said was fully understood by the House, and I wonder whether you could clarify it.
§ Madam SpeakerI am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for raising that matter as a point of order. It has become a regular occurrence that some Members are not in their place when their questions are called. When Members' questions appear on the Order Paper and they are not able to be here, I would expect their questions to be withdrawn and for my office and the ministerial office to know in advance. In some cases, Members do not let me know and they do not let Ministers know. That is very bad behaviour.
The Whips, perhaps through the 1922 Committee, of which the right hon. Gentleman is a respected Member, and through the parliamentary Labour party, should call to the attention of Members the fact that Ministers and the Chair need an apology when Members are not in their place. [HON. MEMBERS: "Hear, hear."] It seems that I have the support of the House on this matter, and I am grateful to the right hon. Member for Woking (Sir C. Onslow) for allowing me to make it clear.
§ Mr. Derek Enright (Hemsworth)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. Has the President of the Board of Trade or the Secretary of State for National Heritage offered to come to the House and make a statement in defence of rugby league against the depredations of the American mogul Murdoch? Is it not crucial that they do so now?
§ Madam SpeakerI understand the strong feelings of some hon. Members about this matter in those parts of the country from which I hail. No Minister has let me know that he wishes to make a statement at this juncture on the matter that the hon. Gentleman seeks to raise.