Press Release (Madam Speaker's Statement) (Hansard, 5 February 1997)

§ Madam Speaker

Yesterday, the hon. Member for North Tayside (Mr. Walker) raised a point of order with me and was good enough to let me have the documentation so that I might examine it. I have to say to him that I can see nothing wrong in the Labour party press release to which he referred. It is perfectly open to any hon. Member to raise a subject with the Comptroller and Auditor General, either directly or by means of a conversation with the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, and to tell the media that he has done so.

On the point of substance, which is publicising the nursery voucher scheme in Scotland, I noted from the material that the hon. Gentleman sent me that the Secretary of the Cabinet has made it clear that this is legitimate at present but that once a general election has been called new advertising campaigns will in general be postponed and running campaigns will be closed. That would no doubt include the one that the hon. Gentleman referred to.