§ The following question stood on the Paper in the name of Sir CHARLES NICHOLSON:
§ 42. To ask the Under-Secretary of State to the Air Ministry if he will say how many types of engines are now on charge in the Royal Air Force; and of that number how many types are in France, the Mediterranean, Mesopotamia, and in the anti-submarine campaign, respectively?
504§ Questions relating to the Royal Air Force also appeared in the names of Major BURGOYNE, Sir FORTESCUE FLANNERY, Mr. JOYNSON-HICKS, and Mr. PETO.
§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSI have been asked to postpone Question 42, and a question standing in my own name. The Under-Secretary has also asked that other questions standing in the names of the hon. Members for Kensington, Essex, and Wiltshire should be postponed on the ground that they will be dealt with by the Secretary of State (Lord Weir) at a meeting upstairs this afternoon. We are quite willing.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member must either ask the question or postpone it.
§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSIf you force me to do it, I will put the question, and leave my hon. Friend to take objection.
§ Major BAIRDI have asked the hon. Member to postpone this question until he has heard what my right hon. Friend has to say upstairs. I am not in a position to answer.
§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSOn a point of Order. In regard to the procedure of this House, I should like to say that my hon. Friend appealed to me yesterday in regard to this matter. I replied that, as a matter of courtesy, and subject to your ruling, Mr. Speaker, I should be prepared to take this course of postponing the question, and I ask for your ruling and guidance. Private meetings held between Ministers and Members are not official, and though on this occasion I have postponed the question I shall reserve the whole of my rights and my colleagues' rights as Members of this House to put the questions again.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member is making a mountain out of a molehill. He was asked to postpone a question, and he agreed. He rose and said he was willing to postpone it, but he tried to interpolate a speech. I rose to say that this was not the time for talking, and that he had either to put his question or to postpone it. That is all. The question about the meeting upstairs does not concern me. The only question that concerns me is to get through the questions.
§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSThen I will put my question.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member (Major Baird) has replied, and asked the hon. Member to postpone it.