On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I ask for your clarification, because yesterday we heard a Minister from the other place on broadcasts such as the "Today" programme, in particular, making a very clear announcement—I know, because I have checked the transcripts—that the Government were essentially going to nationalise the company running the east coast main line franchise. The announcement was made on two or three occasions; it was raised in the House yesterday; and Mr. Speaker was somewhat misdirected, although he was prepared to be corrected in the sense that he was not aware of that. I have handed him the transcript and a request that he now make a statement about it. Today, however, we did not hear anything.

Are you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, aware of whether Mr. Speaker has now reached any conclusions about this matter, and whether he plans to make any statement at all about the Government's disgraceful behaviour in not coming to this House until very late in the evening—after most people had gone? The other place heard a statement much earlier, and we had an indication from a Minister on a broadcast that some very important act was taking place, but this House was literally the last place in Britain to hear about it.

I think that I can do no better than refer the right hon. Gentleman to the responses that Mr. Speaker gave last evening on his considered reflections on the situation that had been raised with him earlier in the day. I think that Mr. Speaker expressed his satisfaction that, on the nature of the statement, nothing very different could have happened. The Secretary of State was obviously confronted with a very unusual situation; there was then a separate matter as to when that could be brought before this House; and there is always a dilemma for the Speaker, when he has timetabled business in the House of a very special nature relating to the House, as to whether it is proper to take further time out of that in order to advance a ministerial statement to this House. I think that it was a combination of very special circumstances, and Mr. Speaker, having reflected on it, gave the judgment he gave, which is in Hansard, last evening.

On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I seek your advice and help. Since he became Speaker, Mr. Speaker has on a number of occasions deprecated to the House the habit of giving information on policy to the media before it is announced in the House. That is right.

I am sure that Mr. Speaker is as concerned as I am about the fact that his statement today was a significant story on the BBC news website half an hour before he made it. That suggests that it was leaked to the BBC. I was wondering whether Mr. Speaker would like to carry out an inquiry to try to find out how the statement was leaked and given to the corporation prior to its being made in the House.

The hon. Gentleman could not possibly expect me to comment. Mr. Speaker will take note of what the hon. Gentleman has put on the record, but I could not possibly begin to opine about what may have occurred. I should just add that the fact that Mr. Speaker was going to make a statement was certainly in the public arena, in the sense that it was displayed on the annunciators in the House. I know no more than that.

Further to that point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I assure you that although the fact that Mr. Speaker was to make a statement was on the monitors, in no shape or form was it clear what the statement would be about. The other point is that if the Government have to bring statements here first rather than leaking them, no one—whether it is the Government or any other body with advance notice—should leak Mr. Speaker's statements to the media.

I cannot speculate about that. I say again to the hon. Gentleman that he has put his concerns on the record. If something injudicious or accidental has occurred, there will no doubt be opportunity for further comment. The issue is hardly more urgent than that.

On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. We have heard through speculation in the press and noises from Another place that the part-privatisation of the Royal Mail has been dropped. Can we expect a statement in the House on the matter, and has any notice been given of such a statement?

I know of no intention to make such a statement; it would have been appropriate for the hon. Gentleman to have made his point to the Leader of the House during business questions. He makes it on a point of order now, and I am not in a position to give an answer. At present, I know of no such intention. [Interruption.] Order. I say to the hon. Members for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton) and for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle) that an across-the-House discussion about multi-tasking is not appropriate at this moment.