HC Deb 17 February 1902 vol 103 cc266-7

Standing Order 56 read as followeth—

"That whenever the Committee of Supply stands as an Order of the Day on Monday or Thursday, Mr. Speaker shall leave the Chair without putting any Question, unless on first going into Supply on the Army, Navy, or Civil Service Estimates respectively, or on any Vote of Credit, an Amendment be moved, or Question raised, relating to the Estimates proposed to be taken in Supply."

(8.56.) THE SECRETARY TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. GRANT LAWSON, Yorkshire, N.R., Thirsk)

said he desired to move the Amendment which stood in the name of his right hon. friend to Standing Order 56. It was to leave out the words "on Monday or Thursday." As the House knew, Friday had for a good many sessions been placed under the Rule, so that practically it now applied to Monday, Thursday, and Friday. Tuesday had been hitherto a private Members' day; but whenever the Government had desired to secure that day by Motion, they had always added the words "Under Standing Order 56," so that the protection, if there were any protection with regard to Tuesday, could be taken away by Motion. Under the new Rule all the afternoon sittings would be Government sittings, and if the Government desired to give an opportunity for discussing Supply on Tuesday or Wednesday, which would be a full day, there was no particular reason why they should not do so. He therefore moved the omission of the words.

Standing Order amended, by leaving out, in line 2, the words "on Monday or Thursday."

Standing Order 56(Committee of Supply), as finally amended, is as follows:—

That whenever the Committee of Supply stands as an Order of the Day, Mr. Speaker shall leave the Chair without putting any Question, unless on first going into Supply on the Army, Navy, or Civil Service Estimates respectively, or on any Vote of Credit, an Amendment be moved, or Question raised, relating to the Estimates proposed to be taken on Supply.