COMMONS speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has said he cannot allocate time for MPs to “properly consider” the conduct of Prince Andrew amid fresh scrutiny over the latter’s relationship with the late convicted paedophile financier, Jeffrey Epstein.

Revelations in the posthumous memoir of Virginia Giuffre, Andrew’s accuser, have placed increasing pressure on the King’s brother.

He announced last week that he would stop using his duke of York title and PM Sir Keir Starmer has said there should be “proper scrutiny” of Andrew’s rent-free mansion on the Windsor estate.

In a statement to the Commons, Sir Lindsay said: “Any discussions about the conduct or reflections on members of the royal family can be properly discussed on the substantive motions.”

But he added: “I am not able to allocate time for a debate on such a motion.”

He said that it is the “long-standing practice of the house” that “criticism of members of the royal family cannot be made as part of questions.”