§ Mr. Richard Tracey (Surbiton)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. On a number of occasions, I have heard you speak to the House about the use of House of Commons notepaper and the House's portcullis insignia, and all hon. Members have received guidelines on the matter from the Serjeant at Arms. I have before me a letter to a business man on House of Commons notepaper, which promotes a conference involving leading members of the Opposition Front Bench. The letter is signed by one of those hon. Members. Delegates are asked to pay £295 a head for the conference, which is to be organised by professional conference organisers called Hobsbawm Macaulay Communications Ltd., which is obviously a commercial operation.
It seems to me that that is an abuse of House of Commons paper and insignia. In the light of what Lord Nolan has been saying to all of us in the past few days, surely that is the type of abuse that the House should not allow.
§ Madam SpeakerThe hon. Gentleman was courteous enough to let me have a copy of the item to which he referred, although I have only been able to glance at it. He knows that the supervision and enforcement of the regulations that govern the use of the portcullis and of House of Commons stationery is a matter for the Serjeant at Arms. I would appreciate it if he let the Serjeant at Arms have a copy of the correspondence to which he referred.
§ Mr. Donald Dewar (Glasgow, Garscadden)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. I understand that an announcement about the jobseeker's allowance was made a short while ago in another place. The other place has 174 been told that the introduction of the allowance has been postponed from April 1996 to October 1996. I have no idea why that has been done. I do not know whether it is due to a systems failure or administrative problems, or whether it is a political and tactical retreat because of the unpopularity of the legislation. But it seems to me that the House should be told, and I wonder whether you have received any indication from Ministers of an intention to come to the House to explain what is a major development in a sensitive area of policy.
§ Madam SpeakerI have not been informed that the Government are seeking to make a statement on the matter, but those on the Treasury Bench will have made a note of what the hon. Gentleman said. I understand that, in due course—I cannot tell the hon. Gentleman when "due course" is—we shall be receiving an amendment from the Lords. I understand the hon. Gentleman's impatience at this time.
§ Mrs. Ann Taylor (Dewsbury)Further to that point of order, Madam Speaker.
§ Madam SpeakerI do not think that there can be anything further to that point of order, as I have made a ruling. I cannot give any more information, although the hon. Lady may have some information to give the House.
§ Mrs. TaylorMay I seek your guidance? Would it be possible, at a suitable point during today's business—perhaps after a vote—for the appropriate Secretary of State to come to the House to make a statement on the matter raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Garscadden (Mr. Dewar)?
§ Madam SpeakerI am always available to a Minister who seeks to inform me that he wishes to make a statement. If that were the case, I would be here in the Chair to deal with that statement.