15 SEPTEMBER 1984, Page 7

Point of order

Mr David Young has been appointed to the Cabinet without yet holding a seat in either House of Parliament. Surely this is unconstitutional? Not so, according to the Downing Street Press Office. After an hour's brooding on the problem, Down- ing Street assured the Spectator that the Constitution does not require a Cabinet minister to have a seat in Parliament, even if everybody vaguely thought it did. 'Any- one can be a member of Cabinet, same way as I could be or you could be . . . if we were appointed, of course.' In which case, is it essential that Mr Young should be- come a peer? It would be interesting to experiment with a Cabinet minister who never had to go near Parliament.