Points of Order (Hansard, 28 March 1996)

§ Mrs. Ann Taylor (Dewsbury)
On a point of order, Madam Speaker. I am glad that the Leader of the House is still in his place. May I raise the fact that the Intelligence and Security Committee report, which, as hon. Friend the Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) pointed out, was due to be in the Vote Office at 3.30 pm, is apparently still not available, although we were told that it would be delayed only until 4 o'clock? That raises suspicion and causes difficulties.

§ Madam Speaker
I understand that it is now available; hon. Members seem already to have copies.

§ Mr. Robert G. Hughes (Harrow, West)
On a point of order, Madam Speaker. I have been sent a mass-produced letter from the hon. Member for Sherwood (Mr. Tipping), which is printed on House of Commons notepaper. I gave him notice that I intended to raise this point of order. The letter has been sent to his constituents in House of Commons envelopes and he has even put his political office address on the back. The cost of postage alone could be as much as £10,000 if the letter has been sent to every constituent. That is a flagrant abuse, and the hon. Gentleman has not even bothered to come into the Chamber. What can we do to stop this abuse by Members?

§ Madam Speaker
We stop it individually by insisting that, if an offence has been committed, the Member concerned has to pay. That happens in every case. If the hon. Gentleman, who obviously has the evidence, will let the Serjeant at Arms have it, he will interview the Member concerned and will find out precisely how much notepaper, postage and so on were used. If that usage is improper, the Member will be charged, as happens in every case that is raised.

§ Mr. Ian Bruce (South Dorset)
On a point of order, Madam Speaker. I refer to the matter that I raised during questions. I know that it is your duty—a duty that you discharge well—to look after the reputation of hon. Members and of the House. You will recall that, during the emotionally charged statement on BSE, the Government were accused of being a deregulatory Government who had done away with a draft order that the Labour party had placed before the House in 1978.
I understand that the draft order had nothing to do with the inclusion of animal parts in cattle food or their exclusion from it, and I believe that that is why it is not 1178 being made available to me. Is there anything that you can do to enable me to do my job, as a Member of Parliament, of bringing up those matters and to protect the reputation of the hon. Member for Peckham (Ms Harman), who is clearly under a great deal of pressure from both sides of the House to come clean on the matter?

§ Madam Speaker
We are to have a debate on the matter and the hon. Gentleman may seek to catch my eye during it. Alternatively, when the hon. Member for Peckham (Ms Harman) is making her points, he may like to attempt to intervene—he has already given obvious notice of that intention—so that she can explain where the document originated and where he may obtain a copy of it. That may be the best way in which to proceed.

§ Mr. D. N. Campbell-Savours (Workington)
Further to that point of order, Madam Speaker.

§ Madam Speaker
I will take no further points of order on the matter.

§ Mr. Campbell-Savours
rose—

§ Madam Speaker
Order. We have had exchanges on the matter both during questions on next week's business, which were totally irrelevant, and we have had points of order that were not quite as irrelevant and with which I have dealt. I hope that the next point of order is relevant.

§ Mr. Chris Mullin (Sunderland, South)
I hope so, Madam Speaker. Further to the point of order raised by my hon. Friend the shadow Leader of the House, the Intelligence and Security Committee report has now become available. Glancing through it, it is clear that paragraphs 10, 32, 33 and 35 are the ones that the Government are anxious we should not be able to discuss. Will you, Madam Speaker, make it clear to the Leader of the House that we deprecate the way in which the report has been withheld? Will you express to him the hope that we shall eventually be able to discuss the report and those paragraphs in particular?

§ Madam Speaker
The document has little to do with the Speaker of the House; it is made available in the Vote Office for Members. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman has made his point, which is hardly a point of order and is hardly a point for the Leader of the House, who happens to be on the Treasury Bench and who has no doubt heard it for all that.