I would like to ask you, Sir, the reason you ruled out my Private Notice Question on the bacon curing strike. The message I got was that the Chair did not consider it to be of an urgent nature. I ask the Chair is he with the people at all or does he know what is happening in the world around him? A very serious situation is arising. Never before have we seen anything like it.

The Deputy should withdraw that attack on the Chair immediately.

Will the Chair qualify that?

The Deputy made an attack as to what the Chair did or did not understand and whether the Chair was in touch or out of touch with the world. The Deputy should not make political attacks on the Chair and I ask him to withdraw that statement.

I withdraw it.

I had my name to two Private Notice Questions relating to the bacon industry, the strike in which is costing about £1.6 million per week to the nation. The danger is that the Danish imports may take over. I should like to know why the Chair ruled those questions out of order.

Firstly, the Chair's ruling cannot be questioned in the House. Secondly, I ruled on a number of Private Notice Questions today, in accordance with Standing Orders and precedent that these questions did not meet the criteria laid down for Standing Orders. My Private Secretary contacted the Deputies concerned and conveyed the reasons why the questions were ruled out of order to the Deputies. If the Deputies are not satisfied with that explanation they are welcome to come to my office to discuss the matter. If they are shy about coming to my office I will meet them anywhere else in the House that might be more congenial or convenient.

I wish to raise the subject matter of my Private Notice Question on the Adjournment because it is a serious matter.

I will communicate with the Deputy.

I added my name to the Private Notice Questions and I would like to ask why they were refused.

The same answer applies.

But Kerry is different.

Supplementary welfare benefits have not been paid——

The Deputy cannot raise this matter in that way.

I hope the Chair will give favourable consideration to the request to have this matter raised on the Adjournment.

You want to kill the bacon industry the same way as the horticultural industry has been killed and we will have foreign imports all over the place.