§ MR. T. M. HEALY (Longford, N.)I wish to put a question to you, Sir, upon a point of Order—namely, whether an hon. Member who in the course of a debate has spoken on the Main Question can move the closure, having regard to the fact that a Member who has spoken on the Main Question cannot move an Amendment? I also wish to know whether entries cannot be made in the Journals of the House, or in the index of Hansard, showing whenever the closure was applied the original amount of time occupied by the House on the Original Motion, and the number of speeches made upon it?
§ MR. SPEAKERIt is quite competent for an hon. Member to move the closure in the circumstances specified by the hon. and learned Member. With reference to the hon. Member's second question as to a record being kept of the time occupied in discussion before the closure is moved, or of the number of speakers who have had an opportunity of speaking before the closure was applied, I do not think that it would be advisable to accede to the suggestion which the hon. and learned Member made.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYI would like to ask whether the Government, who, I presume, find the funds for the publication of Hansard, will instruct the managers of Hansard to record exactly 906 in future volumes the number of speeches on every question that is closured, and the time occupied in the discussion? It may, I think, form a useful precedent for Members of the Conservative Party to refer to.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. W. H. SMITH) (Strand, Westminster)I think the hon. and learned Member can hardly be in earnest. I do not feel able to give the hon. and learned Member an answer that would be satisfactory to him.