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Points Of Order

Volume 400: debated on Tuesday 4 March 2003

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12.30 pm

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I seek your guidance about the confused messages coming out of the Department for Education and Skills today on university admissions. This morning, the Minister for Lifelong Learning and Higher Education, the hon. Member for Barking (Margaret Hodge), is reported to have said that she was going to set a specific target for the percentage of children from poorer backgrounds going to university. She is reported to have said:

"I'm actually going to set a target—where we want to get to by 2010."
Several hours later, however, after the intervention of the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, she was quoted as saying that
"an overall target would be inappropriate and we have no plans to introduce one."
Given that, so far, we have had one message about university admissions from the Prime Minister, a different one from the Secretary of State and two different ones from the Minister with responsibility for higher education, has the Department for Education and Skills requested the chance to make a statement to the House this afternoon, so that we can clear up this terrible confusion on one of the key areas of education policy?

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Have you had a moment to look at the lead letter inThe Times today, from Professor Sir Bernard Crick, the constitutional expert, in which he compares Ministers' respect for the House of Commons somewhat less than flatteringly with the Government of Lord North's? Against the background of your own repeated statements that Ministers making important announcements should come to the House of Commons first, have you been able to reflect on the Chancellor of the Exchequer coming not here, where he surely ought to be, but to Canary Wharf, to tell us that the costs of any war against Iraq will be met, whatever they are, or on the fact that theEvening Standard can refer to the prospect of a rise of 4p in the pound in income tax? If income tax is to rise by 4p in the pound, should not the House of Commons be told first, rather than the distinguished company at Canary Wharf?

The hon. Gentleman, the Father of the House, applied for an urgent question today. I am rather worried that, when he is refused urgent questions, he tries to raise points of order on the same matters. That is what he is trying to do now. He sought an urgent question to try to bring the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the House, and I refused his request. I need not give any reason for doing so. It is quite improper that the hon. Gentleman should then raise a point of order and try to raise the matter in this way.