– in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 19 November 1973.
Mr Robert Maclennan
Shadow Spokesperson (Defence)
12:00,
19 November 1973
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I wish to put to you a point on which I would not necessarily expect an immediate ruling. It concerns the reply which the Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry gave on Question No. 7, to my hon. Friend the Member for Rugby (Mr. William Price).
During his reply, the hon. Gentleman referred to the successful prosecution of three companies and went on to refer to an appeal pending in the case of another and to the fact that the Director of Public Prosecutions had taken up the respondent's case.
Whilst I fully recognise that the House has on a number of occasions recently expressed the desire that the sub judice rule should be interpreted as broadly as possible and with considerable discretion from the Chair, in matters of criminal cases the discretion is clearly less wide. I think that it merits your consideration whether or not these references by the hon. Gentleman prejudiced the hearing of the case and whether they should not have been made in this House.
Mr Selwyn Lloyd
, Wirral
I will consider the point raised by the hon. Gentleman. I will examine the OFFICIAL REPORT and, if necessary, say something to the House about it at a later stage.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
The Speaker is an MP who has been elected to act as Chairman during debates in the House of Commons. He or she is responsible for ensuring that the rules laid down by the House for the carrying out of its business are observed. It is the Speaker who calls MPs to speak, and maintains order in the House. He or she acts as the House's representative in its relations with outside bodies and the other elements of Parliament such as the Lords and the Monarch. The Speaker is also responsible for protecting the interests of minorities in the House. He or she must ensure that the holders of an opinion, however unpopular, are allowed to put across their view without undue obstruction. It is also the Speaker who reprimands, on behalf of the House, an MP brought to the Bar of the House. In the case of disobedience the Speaker can 'name' an MP which results in their suspension from the House for a period. The Speaker must be impartial in all matters. He or she is elected by MPs in the House of Commons but then ceases to be involved in party politics. All sides in the House rely on the Speaker's disinterest. Even after retirement a former Speaker will not take part in political issues. Taking on the office means losing close contact with old colleagues and keeping apart from all groups and interests, even avoiding using the House of Commons dining rooms or bars. The Speaker continues as a Member of Parliament dealing with constituent's letters and problems. By tradition other candidates from the major parties do not contest the Speaker's seat at a General Election. The Speakership dates back to 1377 when Sir Thomas Hungerford was appointed to the role. The title Speaker comes from the fact that the Speaker was the official spokesman of the House of Commons to the Monarch. In the early years of the office, several Speakers suffered violent deaths when they presented unwelcome news to the King. Further information can be obtained from factsheet M2 on the UK Parliament website.
