§ Q7. Mr. Shinwellasked the Prime Minister what consideration has been given by the Government to the need for modernising Parliamentary procedure, apart from those matters now being considered by the Select Committee on Procedure.
§ The Prime MinisterThe terms of reference of the Select Committee enable it to consider any matters of Parliamentary 820 procedure and I think we should await its Reports.
§ Mr. ShinwellCan my right hon. Friend say that when the Reports from the Select Committee on Procedure are presented to the House, presumably for debate, the Government will then offer their constructive observations perhaps in amplification of what appears in the Reports?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, Sir. The Government certainly intend as quickly as possible to put before Parliament their views about the subjects considered in these Reports. Certainly if there are any urgent matters which ought to be considered by the Select Committee we shall not hesitate to recommend the House to refer those matters to the Select Committee for an emergency report.
§ Mr. LubbockDid not the Government make a promise in this connection that they would facilitate the passage of the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Bill? In view of the fact that it appears that time cannot be found to complete the remaining stages of that Bill before the Summer Recess, is not this a matter which should be given urgent consideration to see how our procedure can allow this to take place in advance of any recommendations by the Select Committee on Procedure?
§ The Prime MinisterThe hon. Member should not assume too readily what might or might not be the fate of that Bill, but that is a question for my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House. Perhaps the hon. Member might like to put it in due course to my right hon. Friend.
§ Mr. SteeleIs my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister aware that the Select Committee on Procedure would welcome any suggestions from any hon. Member? Would not this be a better method of approach to a subject than that of putting Motions on the Order Paper?
§ The Prime MinisterI am sure that all hon. Members appreciate the work being done on behalf of this House by the Select Committee. I am sure that any hon. Members when they consider these questions, perhaps through the long watches of the night, may wish to make their proposals to the Select Committee. 821 Certainly, while no one would wish to inhibit the practice of putting Motions on the Order Paper, a practical way would be to put a matter before the Select Committee in order that it might make a recommendation.
§ Mr. BuckWould not the Prime Minisster agree that of equal importance to modernising Parliamentary procedure is to make the procedure we have work? Will he contribute to this by answering some of the Questions put to him?
§ The Prime MinisterI am not sure if the hon. Member was around in the last Parliament, but quantitatively I think I have answered more Questions than my predecessor and qualitatively, while we got no straight answer to a Question put for the last two years of the last Parliament, I have given some very clear answers to the Questions put to me.