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Business Of The House

Volume 408: debated on Wednesday 9 July 2003

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Motion made, and Question put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 15 (Exempted business),

That, at this day's sitting, proceedings on the Hunting (Recommitted) Bill may be proceeded with, though opposed, until any hour.— [Gillian Merron.]

Question agreed to.

7.28 pm

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. You may be aware—I hope that you are—of a robust exchange of letters that is taking place between my right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition and the Prime Minister in which serious issues of the Prime Minister's integrity are being raised. Would you be prepared, Mr. Speaker, even at this stage, to allow the Prime Minister to come to the House, explain his position and, if necessary, apologise, as his own ministerial code requires him to do, if the outcome of the letters points in that direction? I hope that you will be prepared to be flexible enough to allow the Prime Minister to do that so that the matter may be cleared up before it gets completely out of hand.

I say to the right hon. Gentleman that that is a hypothetical matter. I am always prepared to take an approach from any Minister. The right hon. Gentleman opened his remarks by saying that I might know about an exchange of letters. I do not know of any exchange of letters—I have been busy here in the Chamber. The best thing to do is to let the Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition and the Prime Minister enter into a correspondence course without involving the Speaker.