§ Mrs. Jacqui Lait (Beckenham)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I wish to raise the issue of the Crystal Palace Bill, presented on Tuesday 10 April, the day on which the House rose for the Easter recess. I have written to you about it, and also put a note on the board telling the hon. Member for Croydon, Central (Mr. Davies) that I was going to raise it.
The Crystal Palace Bill would transfer Crystal Palace and the park wholly to the Greater London Authority. Crystal Palace lies entirely within my constituency, although the London boroughs of Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark and, indeed, Croydon surround the park. The hon. Member for Croydon, Central—whose Bill we are discussing—shares a boundary with me in the southern part of Beckenham but does not, as far as I am aware, share any boundary with me at Crystal Palace.
I seek your guidance on a number of matters, Mr. Speaker. I should be grateful if you could tell me what courtesies you believe should apply when a private Member's Bill affects another Member's constituency entirely, in terms of informing that Member—let alone Bromley council, which has heard nothing whatever about the Bill from the hon. Member for Croydon, Central.
More important, I understand that the Bill is potentially hybrid, because Crystal Palace park is governed by private legislation. I note, as you will have noted, Mr. Speaker, that Second Reading is due to take place on 11 May. If the Bill is likely to be hybrid—on which point I should be grateful for your guidance—will it be sent to the Examiners of Petitions? If so, will that happen before 11 May? Will the Examiners of Petitions be able to receive representations about the Bill before that date, or will Second Reading have to be postponed, whatever other external events may occur?
I am sure that you understand, Mr. Speaker, that I regard the Bill as an intolerable interference in the affairs of another Member of Parliament. I believe that it is, of itself, very complex, and should at least have warranted the giving of notice to those involved, as opposed to the total discourtesy of silence.
§ Mr. SpeakerI am grateful to the hon. Lady for giving me notice of her point of order. The hon. Member for Croydon, Central (Mr. Davies) was not out of order in presenting his Bill. However, now that the text has become available, it is necessary to see whether the private Bill Standing Orders should apply to it. That will be the task of the Examiners of Petitions for Private Bills, to whom the Bill is today being referred. If those Standing Orders do apply, the Bill will be a hybrid Bill. I am afraid that the hon. Lady is not able under the Standing Orders to make representations directly to the examiners, but if the Bill makes further progress, she will, of course, be able to contribute to the debate.
As to prior consultation with the hon. Lady, notice was given of the introduction of the Bill in the usual way. The House's rules do not require anything further, but it would certainly have been in accordance with the established courtesies of the House if the hon. Gentleman had given notice of his intention to the hon. Lady.
§ Ann Clwyd (Cynon Valley)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I am sure that the whole House will want 39 to congratulate the authorities in Turkey on this morning successfully bringing to a conclusion a dangerous crisis involving hostages, including British hostages, without a shot being fired. However, there is another matter in Turkey. I remind the House that the Foreign Secretary has repeatedly said that the criterion for Turkey's membership of the European Union must be an improvement in human rights in Turkey. At this moment, 250 people in Turkish prisons are on hunger strike. Seventeen have died up to today. I think that we should ask the Foreign Secretary to make a statement to the House on what pressure the British Government are putting on the Government of Turkey to bring to an equally successful conclusion the hunger strike, which, obviously, should not continue.
§ Mr. SpeakerI am pleased that the people in the hotel in Turkey are no longer in any danger. As for the question of a statement, it is not a matter for the Chair.