§ MR. E. ROBERTSON (Dundee)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury the following Question, of which I have given him private Notice, namely:—Whether it is the intention of the Government to add to the New Rules of Procedure a Rule dealing with offensive language used by Members of this House in the course of debate; and, whether the two draft Rules on this subject which appeared in The Times of January 28, together with the other Rules, were authorized by the Government.
§ THE FIRST LORD (Mr. W. H. SMITH) (Strand, Westminster)I quite agree with the view which seems to be implied in the Question of the hon. Member, that if there is no authority to deal with offensive language used by one Member to another, or disorderly language in debate, then it would be necessary that a Rule of that kind should be proposed. But I am informed that the Chair is already invested with ample powers to deal with offences of that character. Therefore, it is not the intention of the Government to proceed with either of the Rules to which the hon. Member has called my attention.