§ Mr. Peter Hain (Neath)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. May I inform you that, in Committee Room 11 last Wednesday, there was a meeting by the Right Now group, whose editor describes himself as "your neighbourhood Nazi"? Is it right that such vile extremist groups should be meeting in the House in this way, and is it right that the Home Office Minister, the hon. Member for Maidstone (Miss Widdecombe), should have addressed that meeting, as other Conservative colleagues have addressed previous meetings of that extremist group?
§ Madam SpeakerI have no objection to extremist groups of the right or, for that matter, extremist groups of the left, meeting in the House, provided that the room is properly booked by a Member and that the Member remains there throughout. If Members have an objection to extremist organisations coming into the House, perhaps they would refer the matter—or, if they wish me to do so, I will do so—to the Administration Committee if they would like this matter to be looked at afresh.
I do not favour extremist groups—I find them totally objectionable—but if Members invite them into the House and accept responsibility for them, whether they are extremists of the right or the left, I think we should go ahead in the tolerant way in which we deal with things in the House.
§ Mr. Jacques Arnold (Gravesham)Further to that point of order, Madam Speaker.
§ Mr. Robert G. Hughes (Harrow, West)Further to that point of order, Madam Speaker.
§ Madam SpeakerThere can be no further points of order. I have made my views known.
§ Mr. HughesIt is on an aspect of what the hon. Gentleman said.
§ Madam SpeakerThe hon. Gentleman raised a point of order with me. He asked me, under a point of order, for a ruling. I have given that ruling. If the hon. Gentleman has another matter to raise, of course I will listen to it.
§ Mr. HughesI have no knowledge of that meeting, and of course I accept and agree with your ruling, Madam 552 Speaker. I was seeking to ask you to remind the hon. Members of the courtesy of telling Members if they intend to raise their names on the Floor of the House. The hon. Gentleman did not say whether he had advised my hon. Friend the Member for Maidstone (Miss Widdecombe). Frankly, I found the suggestion that my hon. Friend the Member for Maidstone would be associated with an extremist group ridiculous.
§ Madam SpeakerThe hon. Gentleman has made a most important point. When calling into question another Member of the House, it is crucial that that Member be so informed. What is said may or may not be accurate. I am not aware whether it is accurate in this case or not, but I hope that—[Interruption.] Just a moment. I have not finished. I hope that the hon. Member for Neath (Mr. Hain) informed the hon. Member for Maidstone (Miss Widdecombe). Did he do so?
§ Madam SpeakerIn that case, I reprimand the hon. Gentleman. We have all been here long enough now—the hon. Gentleman since 1992—to know the common courtesies of the House, and I think this should be carried out.
§ Mr. Jacques ArnoldGiven that you have said that you disapprove of extremist groups, Madam Speaker, how is an extremist group defined in this place?
§ Madam SpeakerI cannot define an extremist group, but I can tell the House that at the next election I shall be fighting Militant Tendency and the National Front. I call them both extremist groups, and I am very happy to take them on.