HC Deb 08 October 1940 vol 365 cc259-61
Mr. Speaker

I have a statement to make about Questions and printing. So long as the present all-night air raids continue the printing by night of Parliamentary notice papers, etc., will be impossible, and, in consequence, the following changes, which are already in operation, will be necessary.

For the present, the printing of Notices given on a Monday will not be begun till Tuesday morning or finished in time to be published before Tuesday's sitting. Thus Notices handed in on Monday will not be published till Wednesday. The notice of a Question handed in on Tuesday will not be in print for study by the Department concerned till Thursday. It cannot obviously be answered till the following week. A day will thus have to be added to the minimum interval between the handing-in of a starred Question and its appearance on the Order Paper for answer. This does not, however, involve an amendment of Standing Order No. 7, which regulates the procedure on Questions, as paragraph (4) of that Standing Order fixes the earliest day for answering a Question as the day after that on which notice of the Question is circulated.

Motions, Amendments, etc., have hitherto frequently appeared on the Order Paper on the day following that on which they are handed in. This is particularly important in the case of Government Business Motions and notices of the presentation of Bills. These are insignificant in bulk compared with Questions, and it might in some cases be possible to print them for inclusion in the Order Paper of the following day. But this could not be guaranteed, and it might be undesirable to have different arrangements for notice for different classes of Business. It must be recognised, therefore; that even Government Motions handed in on a Tuesday will not necessarily appear on the Order Paper till the following Thursday. Any Motion which is too urgent to be so delayed will have to be taken without notice.

Further, as no night printing will now be done, papers will not be available at the Vote Office by the hour at which distribution to Members ordinarily begins, that is, by 8 a.m., and will snot indeed be by till available fill just before the House meets. A distribution will be made to Govern- ment Departments, but none to Members, who will have to obtain their Votes from the Vote Office.

Only the "Blue Paper" will be printed daily. The "White Paper" and the Order Book must be discontinued.

Mr. Silverman

Having regard to the fact that ever since intensive air-raid warfare started not a single national or local newspaper has suspended publication but has been printed at night, what is the necessity for introducing this regulation?

Sir J. Mellor

Do I understand, Mr. Speaker, that what you have just said does not affect the position regarding the putting of Questions which are not for oral answer?

Mr. Speaker

That is only affected by the time they appear on the Paper.

Mr. Beverley Baxter

Is it not a deplorable example to the nation, for Parliament to admit publicly that it has to delay the printing of publications for an extra day when we are asking everybody else to work on through the bombing?

Sir P. Hannon

Can you tell us, Mr. Speaker, how those of us who have endeavoured to maintain night work and night production and the high morale of our working people can carry on our work in face of a decision of the House like this?

Mr. Speaker

Before asking Supplementary Questions I think Members had better see in print what I have said. I would remind the House that printing done for the House of Commons is not in any way comparable with the printing of newspapers.

Mr. Shinwell

With great respect, Mr. Speaker, is this decision which has just been announced a decision for which you are entirely responsible, or is it a decision which has been reached in consultation with the Government?

Mr. Speaker

It has been done by the Stationery Office.

The Prime Minister

In that case I suppose it falls within the control of His Majesty's Government, and I will have the matter looked into.

Mr. Shinwell

Do I understand from what my right hon. Friend says that, for the moment the matter is deferred?

The Prime Minister

What Mr. Speaker has said must rule for the moment until other arrangements can be made. This is the first I have heard of it.

Mr. Thurtle

In the light of the state-men t made by the Prime Minister, would you consider, Mr. Speaker, in view of the feeling of the House, postponing your proposals at the present time?

Mr. Speaker

I will get into communication with the Stationery Office to see whether postponement is possible.