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Official Report, 4Th April (C 431)

Volume 657: debated on Thursday 5 April 1962

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On a point of order. Mr. Speaker, I desire to draw your attention to certain words in today's copy of HANSARD. I am sorry that I read them only a short time ago and have therefore not had the opportunity of approaching you about them before now. The hon. Member for Kidderminster (Mr. Nabarro) said:

"The hon. Member is awake today."—[OFFICIAL REPORT, 4th April, 1962; Vol. 657. c. 431]
I have no quarrel with those words; they are true every day. But the inference contained in them is entirely malicious and is a reflection on my personal character and integrity. If they mean that the hon. Member for Kidderminster is embarking on. a vendetta, then of course I am prepared to enter into that vendetta and let the hon. Member have all that he is asking for. I ask for your Ruling on the inference contained in those words.

Further to that point of order. Mr. Speaker, I seek your guidance about whether it is in order—and I surmise that it is not—for an hon. Member to attribute malice to another hon. Member in what he may have said in his speech.

I will give the House my view. I did not notice or hear the observation when it was made yesterday. It is out of order to impute misconduct of any kind to an hon. Member, save on a substantive Motion. The matter was not raised yesterday, so I suggest that we do nothing whatsoever about it. The hon. Member having raised the point, I hope that there will be no more of this bind of thing which does not add to our general dignity.