John Bercow
Main Page: John Bercow (Speaker - Buckingham) Point of Order
John Bercow Excerpts
Luke Graham (Ochil and South Perthshire) (Con)
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Earlier today, during Treasury questions, the Scottish National party’s transport spokesperson, the hon. Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Alan Brown), said that “the rail funding formula has been ignored and Scotland’s rail budget has been cut by £600 million over the next investment period”. That is not true. Investment in Scotland’s railway has risen from £3 billion to £3.6 billion, as confirmed by the Treasury and Her Majesty’s Government. What steps can be taken to rectify the record and ensure that the SNP spokesman gives the correct facts?
Mr Speaker
I hope that the hon. Gentleman notified the hon. Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun of his intention to raise the point of order.
Mr Speaker
It is very much the expected practice, and it is normal, for a Member who is going to raise a point of order containing a criticism of another Member to notify that Member of the intention in advance. However, I will treat of what the hon. Gentleman has put to me. The matter concerned is a matter of debate, and the hon. Gentleman has put forward his understanding of the position very clearly. It is on the record, and it may well be the subject of further debate and even, conceivably, of publicity, not least in the Scottish media. We await that prospect with interest and anticipation.