§ Major GEORGE DAVIESOn a point of Order, Mr. Speaker. Before you proceed with the Ballot for Notices of Motion, I would like to put a matter before you for your guidance. I am aware that this is a matter on which there have been many precedents. The normal procedure has been to take the ballot on one day, say for three weeks ahead. Under those conditions, every Member who puts down his name has an equal chance in the ballot of being the lucky or unlucky winner by getting a place for a Motion. But when, as is the case to-day, we draw at once for four opportunities it would appear to follow that, if the lucky drawer of the first has his name read out, he has no chance for any of the other three Motions. His opportunities therefore, are mathematically lessened by grouping. This is a point, I submit, which materially affects every Member of the House. Whether it is one that can be mathematically solved by, for example, the reinsertion of the lucky ticket so that the particular Member has an equal chance in respect of the other three days, it is not for me to suggest. I wish to submit the matter to you, Mr. Speaker, because it seems to me that in this grouping of four different days in one drawing of the ballot each Member loses a certain proportion of his chances of being enabled to bring forward a Motion for discussion.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI do not see any greater disadvantage to hon. Members under this existing ballot than under a ballot for each particular day, because in the case of one particular day we should draw four names and in the case of four days we should draw sixteen names, so that really the chance of hon. Members is not lessened.
§ Major DAVIESFurther on that point, Mr. Speaker. I think you misunderstood me. If we draw for one day, any individual Member has a chance of being one of the four successful in Ballot. If we then the next week draw for the three weeks following, he has an equal chance and might conceivably be fortunate in securing the first place in the ballot on each of four days. [Interruption.] I am speaking in the interests of the House as a whole and the rights and privileges of 36 every private Member, regardless of the part of the House in which he sits. I think you will agree, Mr. Speaker, that mathematically it must be so, that if you take one day at a time every Member has a chance of drawing the ballot for that day, but, if we take the ballot in groups of four, his chances are quartered. It is a matter which requires consideration.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI do not see how the hon. and gallant Member can expect to have more chances. After all, four fours are sixteen.