§ Mr. LOUGHI desire, Mr. Speaker, to address to you a question which refers to the admission of newspaper representatives to the Press Gallery of this House, and, as this is a matter entirely controlled by you, I am obliged to adopt the course of putting this question. I desire to ask, Mr. Speaker, whether his attention has been drawn to the florid, and sometimes even grotesque, descriptions of Parliamentary proceedings, and the incomplete and misleading reports of Debates now furnished by many newspapers, whose representatives obtain admission to the Press Gallery, and whether he can see his way, after notice, to establish a rule that no ticket of admission, will be granted to any newspaper which does not undertake to comply with the conditions followed by the OFFICIAL REPORT, and distribute the room it may have available, so that the rule of Parliamentary equality and fairness may be observed, and the same proportional space and prominence allotted to the independent Members of the House as to those who are also members of the Administration?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe right hon. Gentleman will probably not be surprised when I tell him that I am not a very close student of the reports which appear in the papers of the Parliamentary proceedings, excepting the OFFICIAL REPORT. I think there would be a considerable difficulty in carrying out the suggestion which the right hon. Gentleman has made. I understand that the newspapers provide that pabulum for the public which they think the public wants. On the other hand, if any specific instances were brought to my attention of a clearly garbled report of anything said here, I should certainly consider that it was my duty to pay serious attention to it, and to ask for an explanation, and possibly to take most stringent measures.
§ Mr. LOUGHWhile thanking you, Mr. Speaker, for the sympathetic answer you have given, may I ask if examples have not been shown to you of the entire suppression of a whole Debate, except the reply which was obtained from the Ministers, to which, of course, I attach the greatest importance? Do you not think that, as a result of this, the public are, in effect, misinformed as to what has happened?
§ Mr. SPEAKERIf you ask me to say how much value is to be attached to the speeches. I would rather not give an opinion. I think the custom of newspapers has been, and I hope it is so still, to give a reasonable account of what takes place, bearing in mind that at present, and particularly since the War began, the space which can be allotted to Parliamentary proceedings has been very much less than it was before the War, arising from circumstances which are obvious.
§ Mr. G. LAMBERTOn Thursday I gave notice of a question to the Prime Minister. I handed it in at the Table, and thought that it would have appeared to-day. It asked whether he was aware of the difficulty frequently experienced by members of the Press Gallery in reporting the proceedings of this House owing to the inaudibility of Ministers, particularly at Question Time?
Mr. FABEROn a point of Order. Should not the right hon. Gentleman's question have been put down, instead of being read to the House?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThere is nothing wrong about the question. The only point is as to whom the question is to be addressed.
§ Mr. LAMBERTAs this question did not appear on the Paper, will you kindly, for the guidance of the House, tell the House how Ministers can be made acquainted with the fact that members of the Press Gallery cannot hear the answers to questions?
§ Mr. SPEAKERA very simple way of bringing that about would be for right hon. Gentlemen and hon. Members in all quarters of the House to follow the old rule, which is to address the Chair, and not to address the Serjeant-at-Arms. Incidentally, they would also be addressing the reporters, and would, therefore, have a better opportunity of being heard.