§ 48 and 49. Mr. KENNEDYasked the Prime Minister (1) whether he is prepared to consider the appointment of a representative Committee of the House to 1626 consider an amendment of the Standing Order allocating time for private Members' business in order that, if possible, more of the time of the House may be devoted to normal legislative business;
(2) whether he is prepared to consider the desirability of imposing by Standing Order a limitation on the time occupied by individual Members addressing the House in order to facilitate the avoidance of unnecessary repetition or, alternatively, to provide that typewritten and manuscript speeches should be printed and circulated instead of being read by Members in Debate?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe Procedure of this House was considered as recently as 1931 and 1932 by a Select Committee, and I do not think that any useful purpose would be served by a further inquiry. The question of a time limit on the length of speeches has been considered many times, and no satisfactory remedy has been found. The matter was dealt with in evidence given before the Select Committee to which I have referred. I venture to suggest to the House that the solution rests with hon. Members themselves, and, in this connection, I would commend to their notice remarks made on various occasions by Mr. Speaker.
§ Mr. EDEWill the right hon. Gentleman bring these remarks to the notice of his right hon. Friends on the Front Bench?