HC Deb 05 July 1915 vol 73 cc24-5
45. Sir GODFREY BARING

asked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been called to the increasing number of purely personal questions asked in the House; and whether, with the object of avoiding the unfair prior publicity often given to such questions, the answers to which are frequently not published, he will consider an alteration of the Standing Orders of the House whereby such questions, whose nature would be determined by Mr. Speaker, should only be asked by private notice and under conditions insuring simultaneous publicity for both the question and the answer?

The PRIME MINISTER

I agree with my hon. Friend that the practice of announcing questions in the Press before they have been put is to be deprecated in the public interest, and I trust that hon. Members and the Press will cooperate in avoiding it. I do not, as at present advised, think it necessary to propose an alteration in the Standing Orders.