🙇‍♂️ Point of Order

Commons Chamber

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Alan Mak challenged the Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary’s claim that no Conservative ministers had met with AstraZeneca after a £450 million investment announcement. Mak provided evidence of meetings, prompting the Secretary to apologize and correct the record in Parliament. The Secretary admitted to incompetence rather than indifference in failing to finalize the deal before the election. The swift correction and apology underscored the importance of accuracy and accountability in governmental statements.

Summary

  • Point of Order Raised: Alan Mak, MP for Havant, raised a point of order concerning a statement made by the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle, during earlier questions.

  • Inaccuracy Highlighted: Mak pointed out that contrary to Kyle’s claim that no Conservative Ministers had met with AstraZeneca representatives post a £450 million investment announcement, meetings had occurred with then Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Andrew Griffith.

  • Request for Correction: Mak asked for guidance on how to proceed and offered Kyle a chance to correct the record and apologize.

  • Speaker’s Response: Madam Deputy Speaker, Judith Cummins, acknowledged Mak’s point, confirmed that processes exist for Kyle to correct the record if necessary, and noted that Mak had put his concerns on record.

  • Immediate Apology: In response, Kyle apologized directly in the House, corrected his earlier statement, and acknowledged the meetings. He also admitted to misrepresenting the situation post the March statement, attributing it to incompetence rather than indifference.

  • Closure: Madam Deputy Speaker thanked Kyle for his response and correction.

Divisiveness

The disagreement in the session is centered around a factual error made by the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle. Alan Mak raises a point of order to correct the statement made by Peter Kyle, claiming that contrary to what Kyle stated, there were indeed meetings between Conservative Ministers and AstraZeneca representatives. This indicates a disagreement over the factual accuracy of the statement made earlier in the day by Kyle. However, the disagreement is resolved promptly within the session. Peter Kyle apologizes and corrects the record, admitting his mistake and adjusting his earlier argument from ‘insouciance’ to ‘incompetence.’ This swift resolution and lack of further contention after the correction suggests a lower level of disagreement, warranting a rating of 2 out of 5. The disagreement is clear and initially significant but is not escalated or prolonged beyond the immediate correction and apology.

Examples of the disagreement include: 1. Alan Mak’s assertion that the Secretary of State was wrong about no meetings taking place. 2. Peter Kyle’s acknowledgment of his error and the subsequent correction of the record.