HC Deb 23 July 1951 vol 491 cc165-6

The following Motion stood upon the Order Paper in the name of Mr. BLACK:

That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty, praying that the Order, dated 20th June, 1951, entitled the Control of Building Operations (No. 16) Order, 1951 (S.I., 1951, No. 1082), a copy of which was laid before this House on 26th June, be annulled.

10.12 p.m.

Mr. Black (Wimbledon)

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. May I ask whether it is intended to take tonight the Prayer standing in my name and the names of certain of my hon. Friends?

Mr. Speaker

That is not for me. I look down the Order Paper and the next thing I see is "Supply;—Committee." I should have thought that everybody knew perfectly well that the Government move the "Supply;—Committee" when they come to the end of the day. The hon. Member's Prayer is down at the bottom of the page a long way below several other matters. This has nothing to do with me. I cannot direct the matter one way or another.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter (Kingston-upon-Thames)

May I ask for your guidance, Mr. Speaker? I understood my hon. Friend the Member for Wimbledon (Mr. Black) had tabled a Prayer for tonight and, of course, it was not for him to say where it should appear on the Order Paper; but several of my hon. Friends have prepared speeches to deliver on this extremely important matter which they are anxious to discuss. Might I seek your guidance? If the Government intend to prevent discussion on a Motion of this kind, they might take the steps which they take on any other alteration of Business and make a statement on Business so that hon. Members should not be misled in this way.

Mr. Speaker

It has nothing to do with me. It is not my "pigeon" at all.

Mr. Derek Walker-Smith (Hertford)

Would it not be possible for the hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, West (Mr. Popplewell), who moved the Adjournment on behalf of the Government, if he succeeds in catching your eye, Mr. Speaker, to devote a minute or two of the short Adjournment debate to explaining on precisely what principle the Government decide whether to move the Adjournment so as to shut out the discussion of a Prayer?

I think it is a fact that tonight was the only really possible night this week when there was not other business at a late hour. I am sure it would be most helpful to the House as a whole if the hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, West, whose precise Ministerial functions I temporarily forget, were to seek to catch your eye to make that explanation to the House.

Mr. Speaker

Of course, this is all coming out of the Adjournment time. It was surely quite obvious, I should have thought. The Prayer was put down and the Government moved the Adjournment before the Prayer was called. It is quite clear from the Order Paper that the Prayer is right at the bottom of the list, and I should have thought anybody would have known that it would not come on tonight.