Letter from Andrew Selous MP (P45 (Session
2005-06))
MINISTERS MISLEADING
THE HOUSE
I write to seek the Procedure Committee's guidance
on how ministers should respond when they have misled the House
at the Despatch Box. It has come to my attention recently that
different departments are reacting in different ways and as a
Member I find it unacceptable that Departments of State can decide
how they will correct the record when their ministers have misled
the House at the Despatch Box.
At Treasury questions in November the Chief
Secretary to the Treasury misled the House in a supplementary
answer to my question on the Order Paper. After correspondence
between us the Chief Secretary acknowledged to me that he had
misled the House and placed a letter in the Library of the House
correcting his inaccurate answer. As it happened his inaccurate
answer to my question had been picked up on Today and Yesterday
in Parliament on Radio 4 and had been broadcast to the nation.
I therefore find it wholly unacceptable that a major Department
of State can merely slip a letter into the Library which very
very few people are ever likely to come across.
More recently, the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office issued a written ministerial statement which obviously
appeared on the Order Paper to correct an inaccurate oral answer.
Thus, two Departments of State have behaved differently over essentially
the same matter.
I have always taken the view that to mislead
the House, even unintentionally, is an extremely serious offence
and that it is not acceptable for ministers not to regard it as
such. I would like to see a ruling from the Procedure Committee
that when the House is misled from the Despatch Box a correction
is given to the House also from the Despatch Box. I think there
is also a case for ensuring that the correct answer is given at
a time of day that will pick up as much media exposure as the
original incorrect answer received when it was given to the House.
I really do feel very strongly about these issues and believe
that they touch on the reputation and standing of parliament and
Members in general. You will be aware as I am that we are held
collectively in pretty low esteem by the public and I do think
that the measures that I suggest would go a little way to correcting
that impression. I look forward to hearing back from you once
your Committee and its clerks have had a chance to consider this
letter.
December 2005
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