§ 45. Earl Wintertonasked the Prime Minister if he will move to appoint a Select Committee to inquire into the desirability, or otherwise, of altering the Standing Order and Rule of Procedure concerning anticipation.
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Attlee)You yourself, Mr. Speaker, have said that you will give further consideration to the matter to which I presume the noble Lord's Question refers. The point of procedure involved is one which is a matter of custom rather than of Standing Orders, and is one for your discretion, Sir, and as at present advised I do not think that it would be appropriate to appoint a Select Committee to inquire further into it.
§ Earl WintertonIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the whole experience of the past has shown that where doubt and difficulty have arisen—I say this without any reflection upon you, Mr. Speaker, or your predecessors—as to whether particular rules or customs of the House can be properly applied when the circumstances have completely changed since that rule or custom was first founded, it is much less embarrassing to everyone concerned to have a Select Committee? What are the objections to a Select Committee?
§ The Prime MinisterThe matter is in the hands of Mr. Speaker, and I would rather leave it there.
§ Earl WintertonIs the Prime Minister aware, further, that as things now stand, as my right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition has pointed out, it would be quite possible for anyone to stop any questions on a statement by a Minister by merely giving notice that he was going to raise the matter on the Adjournment and that every supplementary question could be stopped in the same way?
§ The Prime MinisterThe noble Lord knows that in our constitution there are any number of opportunities for people to stop the machine, but that it is not done because of the common sense of hon. Members.
§ Earl WintertonIt was done the other day.