§ Mr. KEIR HARDIEI desire to ask you, Mr. Speaker, whether you are aware that women who formed a deputation outside the House of Commons have been debarred from entering St. Stephen's Hall even when accompanied by a Member of this House; by whose authority they have been so prohibited, and whether you can state the reasons which justify that prohibition?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI understand that certain ladies wished to obtain admission to the House, accompanied by the hon. Member himself, yesterday. These ladies, I understand, form part of the deputation from the Women's Freedom League. That is the league which on more than one occa- 251 sion—two or three occasions, I think—have disturbed the proceedings of the House during the last three years, and, therefore, acting in accordance with the Sessional Order of the House against disturbances in the passages leading to the House, the police, by my direction, have refused them admission.
§ Mr. KEIR HARDIEI was not aware of that until I endeavoured to introduce the ladies yesterday. May I ask whether this prohibition applies only to those ladies who are on picket duty, or whether it applies to them all?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI really know nothing about picket duty. I know that certain ladies who by their dress show that they are members of a particular league hold themselves out as being a deputation who wish to come into the House for purposes of their own. I know that certainly on former occasions this league has disturbed the proceedings of the House, destroyed some of the furniture of the House, and openly violated the Sessional Order of the House. Under these circumstances, there is no other course open for me except to forbid them coming into the House.
§ Mr. KEIR HARDIEMay I ask whether the fact of the ladies being brought into the precincts of the House by a Member does not remove your prohibition? I understand that on the occasions to which Mr. Speaker has referred the ladies came in alone and unattended. Is it to be understood that no member of that organisation is to be admitted to the precincts of the House even when accompanied by a Member?
§ Mr. SPEAKERUnfortunately, hon. Members are not always able to restrain the ladies.
§ Mr. W. THORNEIs there no possibility of giving them a chance of reforming?