Sajid Javid was savaged as “rude” by John Bercow on Monday for “scuttling” off to give interviews to the press while avoiding a grilling from MPs.
In a withering three-minute put-down, the Commons speaker attacked the home secretary for sending a junior Home Office minister to face questions on knife crime in his place.
Last week Javid unveiled knife crime prevention orders – a new Asbo-style programme to try and cut violent crime.
The measures will place curbs on suspects, such as limiting their use of social media to stop gang rivalries ratcheting up online.
Bercow today hit out at Javid for failing to announce the policy to parliament himself. “He should be here. It is both ill-judged and rude,” he said.
“Let it be crystal clear that the secretary of state for the home department should be in this chamber answering this Urgent Question,” he said. “It really is time that he upped his game.”
The speaker added: “For what it’s worth, I am sure he’s a very clever fellow and on a one-to-one basis I have always found him unfailingly courteous.
“However, for him to fail to be in the chamber on Thursday to make a statement about his new anti-knife crime initiative was at best ill-judged and at worst rank discourteous to the House of Commons.
“He managed to scuttle off to do a radio interview and then to pop up on the Andrew Marr Show yesterday to give viewers and the nation the benefit of his views.
“If secretary of state aspires to something a little more elevated than to be a jobbing functionary of the executive branch and wants to be a serious and respected parliamentarian, he has to develop antenna and respect for the rights of the House of Commons.”
Victoria Atkins, the crime minister who had been sent to face in MPs in Javid’s place, said the home office meant “no discourtesy”.
“Please don’t think this undermines our commitment to this very import topic,” she said.
Knife crime prevention orders could be issued to anyone aged 12 or over who is believed by police to routinely carry a blade.
They could also be imposed on people with prior convictions for knife-related offences.
Subjects could be required to abide by curfews and geographical restrictions, and attend knife crime awareness courses.
The orders could also include restrictions relating to social media use in order to prevent the “rapid escalation” of rival disputes.