§ Mrs. Helen Jackson (Sheffield, Hillsborough)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. On 3 and 11 August last year, proposals were put to Bradford local authority's emergency planning officer that 1 million people in Yorkshire should be evacuated. Have you received any communication to that effect from the Secretary of State responsible or from Bradford council, because it is immensely serious that 1 million people in that part of the world should have to move house?
§ Madam SpeakerI have had no communication, either last August or at any other time, on that matter. It is a matter that would not concern me as Speaker of the House, although I understand that it may concern the hon. Lady, who represents an area in Yorkshire.
§ Mr. Ian Bruce (South Dorset)On a point of order, Madam Speaker, which relates directly to you. I have been reading the European Commission's directive on the 48-hour week, and it seems to me that, without special dispensation from the European Court, you will not be entitled to do your job for us in the House, because you are required by the House to be on duty for far more than 48 hours a week. I wonder whether you will also read that directive and realise that perhaps you will have to go into job sharing.
§ Madam SpeakerI wonder who would determine who would share my job. I shall certainly read the directive, but as I have worked for more than 48 hours a week for the past 25 years, it would not be anything new for me to continue to do so.
§ Mr. Gerry Sutcliffe (Bradford, South)Further to the point of order raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Hillsborough (Mrs. Jackson). In the light of the information yesterday about Yorkshire Water's plan to evacuate 1 million people, should not a Minister come to 174 the House and make a statement, because the consequences of evacuating 1 million people would be dire?
§ Madam SpeakerI have not been informed that a Minister seeks to make a statement on that matter, but there are always opportunities for Back-Bench Members to raise these matters, particularly on Wednesday mornings, and, of course, in the evening, in Adjournment debates.
§ Mrs. Alice Mahon (Halifax)rose—
§ Mr. Ian Brucerose—
§ Madam SpeakerThe hon. Member for South Dorset (Mr. Bruce) has already had one. He cannot have a further point of order.
§ Mrs. MahonI am sure that it was a mistake, but, during Prime Minister's Question Time, the Prime Minister answered a question on the number of disconnections that have been made since the privatisation of the electricity industry. The fact is that there have been many more disconnections, because of the increase in prepayment meters and the fact that people now disconnect themselves because of the huge growth in poverty. I am sure that he did not mean to mislead the House, but those are the facts.
§ Madam SpeakerThat may be a matter of interest to some hon. Members, but it is certainly not a point of order for the Chair.
§ Madam SpeakerI have already allowed the hon. Member to raise one point of order. It was a most interesting one and I have promised to read an EC directive, which will be enormously painful for me.
§ Madam SpeakerThe hon. Gentleman should come to my office if he wishes to take the matter further. The hon. Member for Congleton (Mrs. Winterton) is waiting to present a ten-minute Bill.