Points of Order (Hansard, 1 December 1997)

§ Mr. Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley)
On a point of order, Madam Speaker. Following the actions of Welsh fanners in Holyhead last night, has the Secretary of State for Wales asked to make a statement to the House today? I make it plain that I cannot condone the actions of those farmers—we could never condone such illegal actions—but the Secretary of State should answer some pertinent questions about the problems that those farmers face.
For example, recent figures show that there has been at least a 30 per cent. drop in the incomes of Welsh farmers, a strengthening of the green pound because of the Government's economic actions, and a £16 million clawback of the hill livestock compensatory allowance payments to farmers in less-favoured areas—all this at a time when money is generally being made available because of the ewe premium rebate, which should be coming back to support Welsh farmers.

§ Madam Speaker
Order. The hon. Gentleman is now getting into a policy argument. I let him continue because I wanted to check when Welsh questions were—they happen to be on Wednesday.

Several hon. Members
rose—

§ Madam Speaker
Order. I have not yet finished. The question was whether the Secretary of State for Wales had asked to make a statement. The answer is no, I have not been informed that he is seeking to do so. The hon. Gentleman raised a lengthy point of order—I hope that those on the Government Front Bench have taken note of it and that the House has noted that Welsh questions are on Wednesday.

§ Mr. Julian Brazier (Canterbury)
On a point of order, Madam Speaker. My question relates to the tabling of oral questions. I understand from the media that the Lord Chancellor has let it be known that he sees himself as having a new co-ordinating role across Government Departments as, in his words, "a new Cardinal Wolsey". If we wish to question him on that matter in the Chamber, should we do so through his Parliamentary Secretary or through the Department concerned? He appears to have started with the Ministry of Defence.

§ Madam Speaker
As the hon. Gentleman knows, I am not responsible for the rota of when Ministers answer questions. That is determined through the usual channels. It is for the individual Member to determine which Minister is responsible for answering the question that is tabled. If there are any problems, I know that the Clerks in the Table Office will provide guidelines and as much help as possible.

§ Mr. Paul Tyler (North Cornwall)
On a point of order, Madam Speaker. I do not want in any way to quibble with your response to the hon. Member for Ribble Valley (Mr. Evans), but I would want to raise under Standing Order No. 24 the issue that has been concerning us overnight. It is a matter not just for Welsh Ministers but for the whole of the rural community, the whole of the United Kingdom and all of us who represent agricultural 20 constituencies. I would suggest that when patient people such as British farmers resort to civil disorder on the scale that they have, it is a very serious matter and, although we would not wish to condone their action, we should have an opportunity to debate it in the House.

§ Madam Speaker
I remind the hon. Gentleman, and all those who might want to touch on this subject, that there was ample time before 12 o'clock today to make an application under Standing Order No. 24. I have made my views known on the matter. I want no further points of order on the issue; I have dealt with it as far as it is my responsibility to do so.

§ Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York)
On a point of order, Madam Speaker. I fear that there may have been a misunderstanding in the reply of the right hon. Member for Ashton-under-Lyne (Mr. Sheldon) to my question during Question Time.
I have put the same question to the Prime Minister. He has been asked about the costs of refurbishing Canary Wharf for the Anglo-French summit. To my knowledge, he has not replied. The point that I was trying to make in Question 35 was that we are obliged, under European law—

§ Madam Speaker
Order. The hon. Lady is trying to extend Question Time. She asked how many lawyers are employed by the National Audit Office. I cannot extend Question Time.

§ Mr. Damian Green (Ashford)
On a point of order, Madam Speaker. Has the Chancellor of the Exchequer given you any indication that he wants to make a statement on the tax-avoidance schemes of the Paymaster General, especially since the Chancellor appears to have changed Government policy on the issue without informing the House? At last year's Labour party conference, the Chancellor said: A Labour Chancellor will not permit tax relief to millionaires in offshore tax havens. He should tell the House whether that still applies to all millionaires or only to millionaire Treasury Ministers.

§ Mr. Bernard Jenkin (North Essex)
Further to that point of order, Madam Speaker.

§ Madam Speaker
Yes, I will hear a further point of order. I want to deal with this matter.

§ Mr. Jenkin
Do you agree, Madam Speaker, that, if a matter is of sufficient importance that it requires a Minister to rush out a statement clarifying why there has been a change of Government policy, that statement should be read out in the House by the Minister? Therefore, should not either the Paymaster General or the Chancellor of the Exchequer come to the House to clarify Government policy?

§ Mr. Dennis Skinner (Bolsover)
rose—

§ Madam Speaker
No, I can deal with this, thank you very much, Mr. Skinner.

§ Mr. Skinner
Further to that point of order, Madam Speaker.

§ Madam Speaker
All right. It is fair enough to hear one from the Government Benches.

§ Mr. Skinner
I remember that, in years gone by, when the Tories were in power, I used to try might and main to find out just what had happened to the £65 million concerning the then Deputy Prime Minister, the right hon. Member for Henley (Mr. Heseltine)—where he had got it, where he had put it, who was in charge of it. I got the brush-off from the Speaker at the time.
What is more, I saw in the papers at the weekend that the shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, the right hon. Member for Hitchin and Harpenden (Mr. Lilley), was to ask a question about the matter. Well, he is not present. I can only assume that he is still in his French investment over the channel.

§ Madam Speaker
I assure the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner) that he is not likely to get the brush-off from me.
On the very serious point, any hon. Member on either side of the House who believes that a Minister has acted outside Government guidelines should make representations to the Prime Minister, who is responsible for ministerial guidelines covering all Ministers. I hope that, if there is any thought of that in relation to this issue, hon. Members who are concerned will make proper representations, with evidence, to the Prime Minister.