Commander Sir BOLTON EYRES MONSELLI rise on a point of Order. Mr. Speaker, to ask for your guidance In Division No. 424, which was taken yesterday, a Division which caused a certain amount of excitement, the Tellers reported the "Noes" as being 278, whereas according to the Official Division List published this morning only 277 Members are marked as having voted "No." On page 359 of Erskine May it says, in reference to mistakes having been made in the numbers of a Division:
If a mistake is subsequently discovered, it will be ordered to be corrected in the Journal.
Sir B. EYRES MONSELLI wish to ask what steps should be taken to place on record in the Journal of this House that the correct majority yesterday was two and not three?
§ Mr. SPEAKERIf the Tellers in the Lobby in which the mistake occurred come to the Table and agree that the number was incorrectly reported, I shall direct that the Journal shall be corrected by a statement of the correct number instead of the incorrect number.
§ Later—
§ Mr. THURTLEReverting to the earlier point regarding the Division figures, may we understand quite clearly that the figures announced from the Chair as the result of a Division are always the definite figures, and cannot be altered?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI think the Ruling that I gave, in reply to the hon. and gallant Member who raised the point, was quite definite.
§ Mr. THURTLEDoes not Erskine May state that if there is any dispute as to the figures of a Division, the point must be raised immediately after the Division has been taken.
§ Mr. SPEAKERWe must exercise a little common sense in these matters.