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§ Dr. Julian Lewis (New Forest, East) (Con)On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. In view of the reply that the Solicitor-General gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Grantham and Stamford (Mr. Davies) about the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood (Clare Short) being subject to the Official Secrets Act, have you received any indication that a Minister will make a statement to this House about whether an offence was committed through a former Cabinet Minister's making remarks such as those that the right hon. Lady made on the "Today" programme this morning?
§ Mr. Deputy Speaker (Sir Alan Haselhurst)No such communication has been received, but I should tell the hon. Gentleman and the House that it is not the custom to make allegations about the conduct of other Members of this House in a point of order. Indeed, any such remarks are extraneous to the strict scope of today's statement.
§ Mr. William Cash (Stone) (Con)On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Given what the Solicitor-General said about the need for the Foreign Secretary to come to the House, would it be in order to suggest that we have clarification that he will in fact do so?
§ Mr. Deputy SpeakerThe hon. Gentleman will know that there are other ways of pursuing that matter. It is not something on which the Chair can rule.