CONSERVATIVE
New Forest East

POINT OF ORDER – SECURITY OF MPs' HOMES - 19 May 2008

POINT OF ORDER – SECURITY OF MPs' HOMES - 19 May 2008

Dr Julian Lewis: On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I ask your advice about the High Court's determination on Friday that Members' private home addresses should be published under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 when requests are made. As I have tried to indicate previously in the House, I believe that such a policy would be extremely dangerous in the present security environment, and my belief is shared by Members from all parties in the House. Until now, as the matter has been sub judice, we have understandably been prevented from discussing it in the House. We have not been able to discuss it in the press, because the press is in the driving seat of applications for addresses to be disclosed. What can we do properly to air publicly, in the Chamber or outside, our justified concerns about the security implications of this foolish decision?

[Mr Speaker: That was not a point of order, but the hon. Gentleman is right to say that the question of sub judice has now been lifted. Therefore, he or any other hon. Member can now table parliamentary questions or raise the matter in the usual way, perhaps through a debate. I thank him.]