Points of Order

Huw Irranca-Davies Excerpts

Thursday 10th October 2013 Commons Chamber

[Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore) (Lab)]

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. In a recent speech, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs referred to the 100,000 homes being connected every week to broadband by his Government. This is a big issue for rural communities in particular. That figure conflicts directly with the more accurate one—I believe—of 10,000 per week given by his colleague the Minister with responsibility for the broadband roll-out. Is there a way of correcting this on the record, so that the House is in no way inadvertently misled? There is a tenfold difference in the figures, and so many people are struggling to access broadband at the moment.

[Mr Speaker]

It is extraordinarily public spirited of the hon. Gentleman to seek to help me with the arithmetic in case I was not able to manage it for myself, but I am deeply obliged to him for his point of order. What I would say to him in response is that all Members of the House, including Ministers, are responsible for the content of their answers and other statements to the House. If a Minister has made an error inadvertently—I think the hon. Gentleman acknowledges that it would be inadvertent—it is up to the Minister to correct the record. The hon. Gentleman has effectively drawn the matter to the attention of the Minister by raising it in the Chamber and it will be in the Official Report. I think that the hon. Gentleman knows that that is the effect of what he has done. We will leave it there for the time being, but I know that he will be keeping an eye on the matter.