§ David Burnside (South Antrim)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. On 10 April I tabled a question to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland—[Interruption.]
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. Will hon. Members leave the Chamber quietly?
§ David BurnsideThank you, Mr. Speaker.
I asked the Secretary of State whether he would make a statement on the status of the Provisional IRA ceasefire in relation to the theft of intelligence information from special branch at Castlereagh police station. I received what I believe is called a holding answer which was "as soon as possible".
Yesterday, at Hillsborough Castle, the residence of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the right hon. Gentleman briefed the Alliance party, a party that has no representation and no Members in the House. He briefed it that he believed that the IRA ceasefire continued to be in existence. I do not wish on this point of order to comment on the content of the right hon. Gentleman's statement, which obviously proves that he lives on another planet from the rest of us in Northern Ireland. However, is the briefing of the Alliance party at Hillsborough yesterday and refusing to answer my question not in contempt of the House?
§ Mr. SpeakerI shall examine the hon. Gentleman's point of order, and will get back to him.
§ Mr. Wayne David (Caerphilly)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I raise an issue of grave concern to many of us. Nearly every day we see many people queuing to enter the Strangers Gallery. As that is happening, we discover 296 that there is a website which has been organised by the president of Plaid Cymru, who is not a Member of this place. He states on his website that if a certain sum—£180 a year—is paid to his club, he will arrange access for members of the public—[Interruption.] I ask the authorities of the House urgently to look into the matter—[Interruption.].
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. Let me reply to the hon. Gentleman. I have examined the document to which he refers. I see no breach of the rules of the House. However, individual Members are responsible for the issue of their allocation of Gallery tickets, bearing in mind that the facilities of the House should not be used in connection with fund raising for a political party or for any other causes.
§ Mr. Simon Thomas (Ceredigion)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. May I draw your attention to written question No. 5, which was tabled yesterday for answer today, in the name of the hon. Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle)? It having been tabled yesterday, I think that it is a planted question. It refers to an application for a wind farm in my constituency. Is it not a gross discourtesy to the House to table a question that relates specifically to an application in another Member's constituency, without giving some indication to that Member of the intention to table the question?
Secondly, Mr. Speaker, does it not concern you, as it concerns me, that the BBC are now phoning me for my reaction to the answer to the question, when the answer has not yet been placed in the Library?
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Gentleman is correct. Any Member tabling a question that has regard to another Member's constituency should have the courtesy to let that Member know. As for the BBC phoning the hon. Gentleman, he should do what I do and just ignore phone calls from the BBC.