Points of Order

Hilary Benn Excerpts

Monday 21st November 2011 Commons Chamber

[Hilary Benn (Leeds Central) (Lab)]

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Once again, a major policy announcement from the Department for Communities and Local Government has appeared in the newspapers before a statement has been made to the House. I refer in particular to the report on the Financial Times website on Saturday 18 November on the details of the mortgage indemnity scheme, and the front-page report in The Times of the same date about both the mortgage indemnity scheme and right-to-buy discounts. Mr Speaker, you have been consistently clear that statements about policy should be made to the House before they are made anywhere else. What can now be done, given that this is the third occasion when that has not happened in respect of a policy statement from this Department?

[The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr Eric Pickles)]

rose—