§ Major Guy LloydMay I ask you a question, Mr. Speaker, of the gist of which I have given you private notice? I wish to ask if you are in a position to answer 2324 a question which I raised some time ago as to whether or not it is right and proper for a right hon. or hon. Member to stop discussion on a major issue raised on a Ministerial statement by going through the words, "I beg to give notice that I will raise the matter on the Adjournment"? You will recollect, Mr. Speaker, that you said you would consider the question. I respectively ask if you have considered it and will now give us your advice and Ruling.
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. and gallant Member asks me to give a fresh Ruling on the subject of Members putting a stop to supplementary questions by giving notice to raise the matter on the Adjournment. This was the subject raised on 27th February.
On 1st March I received from a Member a strong protest against limiting the power of giving such notice to the Member who asked the original Question. In reply to him, I wrote that I did not propose to give a further Ruling on the subject unless I received representations showing that the House agreed to a change in the existing practice.
The practice is the same whether the questions are supplementary to a Question or to a Ministerial statement, but it would always be in my power to stop any attempt to abuse this blocking procedure by too premature notice of intention to raise the matter.