HC Deb 25 February 1930 vol 235 cc2054-6
Major OWEN

On a point of Order with regard to the Questions on the Paper. A week ago I put a question dealing with unemployment to the Lord Privy Seal. I had a communication some days later from the Lord Privy Seal informing me that the question had been passed on to the Minister of Agriculture, and the result is that the question appears on the Order Paper to-day as Number 98, which precludes me altogether from having a reply to it in the House. This question involves a matter of great importance to my constituency. As I say, it deals with unemployment, a subject which, I understand, belongs to the Department of the lord Privy Seal, but without any consultation with me the question has been handed over to the Minister of Agriculture, and I have no opportunity whatever of getting a public answer to it. The question deals with quarries and the difference between the quarries being able to work and not being able to work may depend on the answer.

Major MCKENZIE WOOD

May I say that I have had exactly the same experience.

Mr. SPEAKER

Hon. Members must bear in mind that the only Ministers who can answer questions are those in charge of the particular Departments to which the questions refer, and there is no possible way out of that position.

Major OWEN

But surely this is a question about unemployment.

Mr. SPEAKER

As to the position of the hon. and gallant Member's question on the Order Paper, may I point out that, if we could get through a few more questions in the day, we should be able to reach No. 98 with some ease. There is, however, a congestion of these questions, particularly on Tuesdays—I cannot tell why—and it is that congestion which prevents us from getting as many questions asked as I would like.

Colonel HOWARD-BURY

May I ask your advice, Mr. Speaker, in relation to the same matter. Tuesday is the only day upon which we can put questions to the Postmaster-General, and to-day the first question to the Postmaster-General is No. 82 on the Paper, and there are questions addressed to that Minister. On Tuesday, as you, Sir, have rightly said, questions appear to go very slowly, but, could not we adopt, as regards the Postmaster-General's questions, a rota similar to that which has been adopted with questions addressed to the Board of Trade, the Scottish Office, and the Lord Privy Seal, so that, at least once in every five weeks, we should have a chance of putting questions to the Postmaster-General?

Mr. SPEAKER

I would point cut that No. 82 is not very far down on the list.

Colonel HOWARD-BURY

But it has not been reached.

Mr. SPEAKER

Perhaps if the hon. and gallant Member would assist me, we would be able to get through the questions more quickly.

Major ROSS

I also desire to ask your guidance, Sir, on this point. I have put several questions down to the Postmaster-General, but for weeks those questions have not been reached, and, apparently, one can never get questions answered m the House by the Postmaster-General. Would it not be possible to devise some scheme such as has been suggested by my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Colonel Howard-Bury)?