§ Mr. MILLSWhile we are waiting for the ballot box to be brought in, I would like to ask whether any steps are likely to be taken during this Session of Parliament to in some way meet the demands of Members for seats. Members come in at various hours of the morning to attempt to secure their seats, and some of the new Members feel, as I myself feel, that 693 there is some uncertainty whether or not a Member has a prescriptive right to a corner seat, or whether it is a matter of securing it every day.
§ Mr. SPEAKERMost of these questions are settled in the course of a very short time by the good sense of Members of the House. I hear there is to be a rearrangement of seats before long, and I think we had better wait and see.
§ Mr. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINMay I suggest that there be no rearrangement of seats, unless the House has first been given an opportunity to express its opinion on the subject.
§ Mr. SPEAKERBy "rearrangement," I was referring only to certain changes, of which I had heard lately.
§ Mr. W. THORNEI understand that there are certain seats on the Front Government Bench which belong to certain people. It appears to me that, as there are only a certain number of seats for the 615 Members, it might be possible to ballot for those seats at the beginning of the Session, and retain them till the end of the Session. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh!"]
§ Mr. SPEAKERI observe that the hon. Member for Plaistow (Mr. Thorne) has acquired a courtesy right to a corner seat.
§ Mr. THORNEThat is because I am an old stager.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI do not think the hon. Member or any of his fellow old stagers would much care to put their seats at the chance of the ballot. We had better wait a short time to see how things settle down.