§ Mr. Oliver Letwin (West Dorset)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. Will you give guidance to a new Member on how the House can intervene to protect a former civil servant, Anne Bullen? She has apparently been made subject to a gagging order—or rather, a gagging agreement—in order to protect the Foreign Secretary against grave embarrassment; and we understand that the Whitehall publicity machine is now engaging in a programme of vilification against her.
§ Mr. Eric Forth (Bromley and Chislehurst)Further to that point of order, Madam Speaker. Do not we in the House rely totally on the integrity and independence of civil servants throughout government to give us answers to the questions we ask of the Executive? What assurances can the House be given that civil servants will be protected from the casual and gratuitous sackings by Ministers that are apparently now going on in Government Departments? Surely the House and you, Madam Speaker, should be extremely concerned about this matter. I seek your guidance on what we can do to protect civil servants from Ministers.
§ Mr. Dennis Skinner (Bolsover)Further to that point of order, Madam Speaker. Perhaps when you do your research, you will ask Clive Ponting to comment.
§ Madam SpeakerI have been in the House long enough—some 25 years—to have had a number of experiences. Both the Opposition Members who raised this matter know full well the use of the Order Paper. There are parliamentary questions, Adjournment debates and numerous other ways in which hon. Members on both sides of the House can raise these matters, and it is up to them to do so, if they think it necessary.