§ Mr. Jack Straw (Blackburn)On a point of order, Madam Speaker, of which I have given notice both to you and to the Minister of State, Home Office. Six weeks ago, I tabled a question for written answer in the following terms:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library the conclusions of any studies available to him as to the effectiveness of boot camp prisons in the United States of America.That question was due for answer on 15 February, but it was not answered until last Friday, 17 March, following a telephone call from my office to the Minister. The answer that I received from the Minister of State read:Copies of the readily available published reports have been placed in the Library."—[Official Report, 17 March 1995; Vol. 256, c. 764.]The answer contains no reference whatever to any other reports—the identity of which I was seeking—that his officials may have made available to him.On Friday I received a copy of a Home Office report entitled "Boot Camps: Report of a Visit to the United States, May 1994". I can well understand why the Minister and the Home Secretary may have evaded mentioning that report as, from the mouths of their own officials, it blows apart the case for boot camp prisons quite comprehensively.
I wish to put three questions to you on this point of order, Madam Speaker. First, is it in order for Ministers to fail to answer a simple parliamentary question, which was put down for answer on 15 February and of which due notice was given, until 17 March—more than four weeks later? Secondly, is it in order for Ministers to fail even to acknowledge the existence of a report, albeit they may wish not to make the report public? Thirdly, in the light of the report—which is now a public document—has the Home Secretary indicated to you that he intends to make a statement to the House abandoning any idea of pursuing a policy of establishing boot camp prisons in the United Kingdom?
§ Madam SpeakerFirst, let me say to the hon. Member for Blackburn (Mr. Straw) that, although he apparently indicated his intention of raising a point of order today, he gave me no details about it. About five minutes ago he gave a little indication to my staff of what his point of order might be about.
Secondly, as the hon. Gentleman knows, Ministers are responsible for the answers that they give to parliamentary questions; that is not my responsibility. If the Minister's answer was dilatory—I think that the Department may have been in this case—I will seek to speed up that process. The hon. Gentleman asks me whether the Minister is about to make, or is considering making, a 20 statement about the issue that he has raised. I have been given no indication at this stage that the Government will make a statement on those matters.
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. Michael Forsyth)Further to that point of order, Madam Speaker. I point out to the hon. Member for Blackburn (Mr. Straw) that, according to the conventions that apply in the House, advice to Ministers is not disclosed. The report that the hon. Gentleman has—I have no idea how it came into his possession—has not been published. It is a report by officials within the Prison Service, which comprises advice to Ministers in considering policy options in this area.
My right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary has made it clear that we are still considering a regime for young offenders, which will be tough and rigorous. We plan to make a statement about it. Rather than misleading the press and others about the perfectly proper answer that he received, the hon. Gentleman would have done better to prevent his colleagues from objecting to the Bill presented by my hon. Friend the Member for Sutton and Cheam (Lady Olga Maitland), which sought to impose penalties on those who abscond while on prison leave.
§ Mr. John Marshall (Hendon, South)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. In view of the presence—
§ Madam SpeakerOrder. Is this a completely different point of order? I will not allow a debate on the matter that has been raised.
§ Mr. MarshallI would not dream of it, Madam Speaker.
In view of the presence of my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Home Office, I wondered whether he had asked your permission to make a statement on electoral registration, following allegations in the Daily Mail that the electoral register in Birmingham is merely a work of fiction.
§ Madam SpeakerI think I have said to the House before that, if any statements are to be made, they will be on the Annunciator screen so that we are all informed of them.
§ Mr. John Gunnell (Morley and Leeds, South)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. Is the authority of the House affected by the fact that an ex-permanent secretary, soon after leaving office, has described the policy for which he was responsible, with his Secretary of State, as a mess? He said that on television. Surely it is for the people responsible—[Interruption.]
§ Madam SpeakerOrder. I may have authority over the House—indeed, I do—but what ex-Ministers say on television is none of my concern.
§ Mr. David Shaw (Dover)Civil servants.
§ Madam SpeakerCivil servants, Ministers—whoever they are, I cannot spend my day watching television.