HC Deb 28 February 1912 vol 34 cc1338-9
Lord BALCARRES (for Mr. Bonar Law)

I beg to move for a Return "setting forth the name, age, date of appointment salary, address at time of appointment, and occupation for the five years preceding the appointment, of each person appointed without competitive examination to any position in the Public Service from the 5th day of December 1905, with an annual salary of £100 and upwards, specifying separately the appointments for England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland."

Mr. KING

On a point of Order. I beg to call attention to page 105 in the "Manual of Procedure," where it states that the Motion requiring notice must be made by the Member in whose name it stands; and I submit that the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Bootle not being in his place his Motion cannot now be taken.

Mr. SPEAKER

It is not applicable to unopposed returns. We are constantly having unopposed returns moved by one hon. Member on behalf of another, or by one Member of the Government on behalf of another.

Mr. KING

With absolute respect I may point out that this Manual has recently been revised, it has been issued only a few days ago, and may therefore be considered authoritative, and it states that, subject to a certain exception, namely, a Motion made from the Government Bench alone, this rule has no exception at all.

Mr. SPEAKER

I am afraid that I am not wholly governed by the Manual. The Manual is really governed by me. It has been the practice to my knowledge for 25 years to take unopposed returns moved by one hon. Member on behalf of another.

Mr. KING

Perhaps so, but not where objection is taken by an hon. Member under this rule. That is surely, with absolute respect, the point that I have made. A Motion may be made, no doubt, when not objected to by an hon. Member, but when an hon. Member rises in his place and directs your attention to a rule which is apparently without exception, save what I have mentioned, I venture to suggest that on such an occasion the Motion cannot be made.

Mr. SPEAKER

The hon. Member has misconceived the rule. It does not apply to unopposed returns. It never has applied, and the reason why the question has never been raised before is that nobody ever thought it did apply.

Question put, and agreed to.

Further Return ordered, "setting forth the name, age, date of appointment, salary, address at time of appointment, and occupation for the five years preceding the appointment, of each person appointed without competitive examination to any position in the Public Service during the period from the 29th day of June, 1895, to the 5th day of December, 1905, with an annual salary of £100 and upwards, specifying separately the appointments for England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland."—[Mr. MacCallum Scott.]