§ Mr. David NicholsonTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received asking him to make it a criminal offence for a director of a company knowingly to make untrue statements about a competitor company to an hon. Member, a Member of the House of Lords or a Member of the European Parliament; if he will consider such a proposal; and if he will make a statement. [3530]
Mr. John M. TaylorI have received no such representations. Any person, whether or not a director of a company, must already have regard in any statement about a third party which he or she may make to a Member of Parliament to the application of the law of defamation to the statement in any circumstances outside the scope of the strict rules of absolute parliamentary privilege.