HC Deb 22 February 1921 vol 138 cc770-1
Mr. WALLACE

I desire to ask you, Sir, whether it is not a fact that in any important Debate in this House the available time is largely monopolised by Members on the Front Benches, and whether you will consider the desirability of calling one ordinary private Member who undertakes to limit his speech to a maximum of 15 minutes after each speech delivered by a Member on a Front Bench. I do not know whether, with your permission—probably it is a point of Order—I may say why I put this question. Yesterday we had a Debate on a subject of the most importance which lasted seven hours. During that time only ten speakers could take part in the Debate on account of the length of the speeches. There is very strong resentment on the part of ordinary private Members who are so frequently excluded from debate. We regard you, Sir, as the custodian of the privileges of all sections of the House, and, while we receive fair consideration at your hands, we know that your calling upon Members is very largely governed by the traditions of the House. This old tradition has outlived its day, and, if arrangements could be made whereby the speeches of Members on the Front Benches could be either shorter or become fewer, it would be a misfortune which we private Members would bear with Christian fortitude and resignation.

Mr. SPEAKER

I recognise that the grievance of long speeches is felt in most quarters of the House, but I am afraid that the hon. Member's remedy will hardly be applicable. It would make Debate impossible if, at the conclusion of a speech from the Front Bench, some unofficial Member were necessarily called upon. I endeavour as far as I can to call unofficial Members, but it would be almost impossible to conduct a Debate on the lines suggested. I have made an analysis of the speeches yesterday, and, after all, there was not such a very great difference between the average length of the unofficial Members' speeches and the average length of the speeches of the official or ex-official Members. The latter worked out at fifty minutes each and the former at thirty-three minutes each, so that there was not a very great deal of difference.