Points of Order (Hansard, 1 March 1999)

§ Mr. Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow)
On a point of order, Madam Speaker. You will have heard the polite, courteous and emollient answer given to question No. 33, which was addressed to the Parliamentary Secretary, Privy Council Office, about a Select Committee on Iraq. However, that response did not refer to the issue of the strike against the pipeline linking Iraq and Turkey, and all the consequences that that will have for the oil-for-food programme. Madam Speaker, have you received any request from the Foreign Office to comment on, or make a statement about, this rather urgent matter?

§ Madam Speaker
I heard the hon. Gentleman's supplementary question. However, I have not been informed that the Foreign Office is seeking to make a statement on that issue.

§ Mr. John Smith (Vale of Glamorgan)
On a point of order, Madam Speaker. Is it in order for the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox)—whom I have notified about my intention to raise this point of order—to speak at the Dispatch Box on behalf of the Opposition during the Welsh affairs debate in this place and proceed to talk down Welsh manufacturing industry? That is what he did—

§ Madam Speaker
Order. No, I am sorry. Let me help the hon. Gentleman. I can take only points of order, which must refer to issues that I can do something about. The hon. Gentleman has so far raised a matter of politics and debate across the Floor of the House. He must raise a point that I can deal with.

§ Mr. Smith
I hope that I shall continue along those lines, Madam Speaker. The hon. Member for Woodspring represents a constituency in a region that stands to benefit directly—it is in direct competition for jobs and investment—

§ Madam Speaker
Order. The hon. Gentleman should first work out the point of order to me and then raise it so that I might be able to respond to it. It is no concern of mine what constituency the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox) represents or what he says at the Dispatch Box on behalf of the Opposition. This is a free Parliament and the hon. Member for Woodspring can say exactly what he wants, provided that it is within parliamentary terms and that he uses good language.