14 July 2011

Today Jim McGovern MP raised a Point of Order to the Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons (Lindsay Hoyle MP) to challenge the government’s decision not to answer a question the Dundee West MP was due to put to them earlier that day.

Jim McGovern had been selected to ask a question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills during the question session on Thursday afternoon to ask them what steps they had taken to support the computer games industry.

The Department removed the question from the order of business on Wednesday afternoon, claiming it was not under their remit.

Mr McGovern was informed by the Deputy Speaker that neither he nor the House of Commons Table Office was responsible for removing questions in this way, but that it was entirely due to the government department.

Jim McGovern said,

“It is outrageous that a government Department would decide to remove a question from a Commons question session, and dodge giving my constituents and me a straight answer.

“I understand that the Department for Culture, Media, Olympics and Sport has direct responsibility for the computer games industry.

"However, as I said in the Chamber, government support for business is without a doubt the responsibility of the Department for Business.”

Mr McGovern concluded,

"It is unacceptable that a government Department would choose to dodge a question on such an important issue for Dundee.

"I have complained to the parliamentary authorities but I will be pursuing this further.”