HC Deb 20 March 1928 vol 215 cc347-9

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That this House do now adjourn."—[Sir G. Hennessy.]

Mr. T. WILLIAMS

I should like to ask your guidance, Mr. Speaker, as to whether any important question cannot be raised by any Member of the House between now and Eleven o'clock, We are in doubt as to what the position is, and, if you would guide us, we should know exactly what to do.

Mr. SPEAKER

It is quite in order to raise questions on the Motion for the Adjournment, but, of course, it is usual to give notice to the Minister concerned.

Mr. HARDIE

If the Adjournment of the House is moved now, and the Debate continues until Eleven o'clock, do we understand that we have to move the Adjournment again in order to carry on until half-past Eleven?

Mr. SPEAKER

Yes.

Mr. MAXTON

There is a matter that is really not of very great importance, and I have not been able to intimate to you, Sir, that I was going to raise it, but I did mention the matter to the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury. It is a small matter, arising out of some notices which you caused to be posted about the Lobbies of the House, affecting the rights and privileges and customs of Members of the House—new notices which rather restrict the smoking rights of Members of the House. I am not objecting, because I think that the regulation is well founded, on the whole, but there is one bit of it that, as it seems to me, strikes at the root of what was a very pleasant custom, namely, that Members of this House were allowed to light their cigarettes in the Inner Lobby after the House had risen for the day. No doubt the reason for the general rule is on account of the carpets and so on, but that does not apply in the Inner Lobby, and I am asking you, on behalf of a certain section of the private Members of the House, if you could relax that rule so far as it applies to the Inner Lobby after the House has risen.

Mr. SPEAKER

I am not prepared to discuss matters of that kind here, but, if Members care to approach me at the proper time, I shall always give consideration to what they have to say. My desire is to suit the convenience of Members. I may say that what I did was only to remind them of an old-established rule of which there have been occasional breaches of late.