§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLon a point of order complained that there had been a grave infraction of the rights of private Members on account of the way Questions were placed on the Notice Paper.
§ *MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! The Notice Paper is quite in order, and if the hon. Member wishes to raise a discussion as to the way Questions are put down he cannot raise it as a question of order. The Paper is perfectly in order.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLsaid there was no Rule of the House which provided for the Questions of the First Lord of the Treasury being placed last with the chance of being crushed out.
§ *MR. SPEAKERIt has long been the practice to place them in this position. I am not saying that the convenience of this arrangement is not an arguable point, but simply that it cannot be raised as a question of order, and it does not give the hon. Member the right to intervene in the business of the House now. The hon. Member may put down a Motion, but he cannot raise it as a question of order.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLsaid he did not think a Motion would be in order. Now that Questions had a time limit the First Lord's Questions were crushed out.
§ *MR. SPEAKERThere is a rule that no discussion can take place in this House without there is some question before the House, unless it is a question of order immediately arising. Therefore the hon. Member is not entitled to discuss a matter of this kind.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI hope I may be allowed to say that I particularly dislike any Questions put to me being driven over, because answering them in writing I find much less convenient. I should like to make arrangements for my Questions to come at a period when they would not be driven over.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMONDasked if Mr. Speaker could say exactly what the practice was. Were they put on the Paper in the order in which they were handed in?
§ *MR. SPEAKERThey are first grouped under the heads of the different Ministers' Departments, and subject to that I believe they are put in the order in which they are handed in.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLsaid this grouping had only taken place since the institution of the new Rules.