§ Colonel RopnerMembers will have read that the only occasion Members can speak seated and covered, is when a point of order is being raised during a Division. In another official publication which deals with Standing Committee procedure, advice is given to the Chairman that the procedure in Standing Committee should follow as far as possible the procedure in Committee of the whole House. It would seem, therefore, that any Member desiring to raise a point of order during a Division in Standing Committee should do so seated and covered. Perhaps emboldened by the knowledge that there is no appeal from the Rulings in Standing Committees to you, Mr. Speaker, I should not hesitate to accept a point of order from a Member during a Division in Standing Committee if he remained uncovered; and there are policemen's helmets in Standing Committee, and as far as I know there are no policemen's helmets in the House.
You have given me this opportunity, Mr. Speaker, to ask whether you will rule that the occupant of the Chair in the House may henceforth allow an hon. Member to raise a point of order without the necessity of wearing a hat. I am as anxious to cling to old customs as anyone, but, for better or for worse, the shining array of top hats which used to grace these benches has gone. Hats are on the verge of extinction, and the hunt for the hat is hard going, the quarry being elusive. Even if the run ends in a kill, the chase is often undignified and even unseemly.
I do not know whether you are prepared, Mr. Speaker, to announce a decision today, or whether you would prefer to consult opinion through the usual 40 channels, but rather than disregard entirely the old custom, may I venture to make one suggestion, that the Serjeant at Arms should keep in close custody, except when required, a new type of head gear to be known as "the Parliamentary hat." I would warn you, Mr. Speaker, that it will be difficult to get all-party agreement on the colour of the hat—it might be red or it might be blue. I know that you will get the wholehearted cooperation of my right hon. Friend the Member for Woodford (Mr. Churchill), and I hope that hon. Ladies will take it as a compliment—I certainly mean it to be so—when I say that they too can offer advice as to the design of the most becoming Parliamentary hat. I hope opportunity will be taken of ridding Members of the necessity to search for a non-existent hat.
§ Mr. ChurchillMay I venture to ask you, Mr. Speaker, in view of all we have heard—which we were not aware was to be raised—whether you do not feel it entirely within your rights to take time to consider what your answer may be and to ascertain some opinions from other hon. Members?
§ Mrs. MiddletonYou may recollect, Mr. Speaker, that I raised a similar question with you during the last Parliament, when I pointed out that in my opinion it was quite impossible for a lady Member of the House to raise a point of order during a Division because so often lady Members attend the House in headgear and no one, because they always have a hat on, would take any notice of an attempt to raise a point of order during a Division. May I express the hope that when this matter is considered, the point of view of lady Members will be taken into consideration?
§ Mr. SpeakerI do not want to take up the time of the House, and I think I can give my answer within a minute or so. I admit that I have sympathy with the point that has been raised, but I am not prepared to give a unilateral decision at this moment. We must remember that this is a practice which started in 1785. Therefore it is an old practice, and I feel that care should be taken before we accede to the hon. and gallant Member's request. For myself, I have no wish to change an old practice without full consultation with all sections of the House.