HC Deb 21 December 1944 vol 406 cc1932-4 The following Question stood on the Order Paper in the name of Mr. LEACH: 40. To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he can make any statement regarding a further alleviation of the present black-out.
Mr. Bowles

In view of the importance of this Question, would the Home Secretary answer it at the end of Questions?

Later—

Mr. Bowles

On a point of Order. I think the House would be glad to have a reply from the Home Secretary to Question No. 40. He does not seem to be in his place. I was wondering whether you, Sir, could help us.

Mr. Speaker

The hon. Member cannot on a point of Order ask another Member's Question.

Mr. Bowles

If a Minister thinks in his wisdom that he would like to answer a Question which has not been asked, he has the right to do so. If the House desires to have a Question answered, can it not ask the Minister to answer it?

Mr. Speaker

The matter rests with the Minister and not with me. I am sorry that I cannot help the hon. Member.

Mr. Edmund Harvey

May I ask you, Sir, if your attention has been called to the large number of Members who have not been in their place to ask their Questions; and does not that cause great inconvenience to Ministers, and to the House?

Mr. Speaker

I am obliged to the hon. Member for mentioning the matter. I regard it as somewhat discourteous to the House if one does not trouble to attend when one has put a Question on the Paper.

Mr. Shinwell

May I ask you, Sir, whether you will consider whether it is not possible to make some arrangements with Members that, if practicable, and if circumstances permit, when they have sufficient time, they should notify either yourself or the Minister responsible of their intention not to be present so that the Question may be taken off the Paper and other Members be able to put their Questions?

Mr. Speaker

I will certainly consider whether there is any practicable way of doing that.

Captain Plugge

When a Minister replies to two Questions at the same time he always asks the permission of the two Members. If the first Member is not there to ask his Question, could not the Minister reply to the second?

Mr. Buchanan

As you, Sir, are being asked to commit yourself to a new policy will you consider that circumstances sometimes arise which prevent Members from being present? They have other work to do, sometimes committee work which debars them from coming to the House.

Mr. Speaker

I can assure the hon. Member that I will not act hastily nor willingly make reflections on hon. Members which are unjustifiable.

Mr. Woodburn

Would it not be wise to keep in mind that the Minister of War Transport warned us about the difficulty of travelling in the holiday time and that many who represent distant constituencies have already left?

Mr. Speaker

That should not have prevented hon. Members from withdrawing their Questions.

Miss Rathbone

Would it not be possible to revive the pre-war practice of allowing a Member who cannot be present to transfer his Question to another Member? Would that not meet the difficulty?

Mr. Speaker

I think this is a matter for the House and not for me.

Lieut.-Colonel Sir Thomas Moore

As we expect Ministers—and they invariably respect the convention—to be in their place to answer Questions, surely Members should obey the same convention and be in their places to ask Questions. It is not a matter that is solely concerned with to-day. It has been going on for a long time.

Mr. Buchanan

Might I ask you to bear in mind, Sir, that the hour for Questions is not the only time for Members to attend the House?

Mr. Speaker

I do certainly bear that in mind.