HC Deb 09 April 1952 vol 498 cc2752-4
Mr. Geoffrey de Freitas

May I briefly raise a matter and ask your assistance, Mr. Speaker? It concerns the Division Lists published as an appendix to the Votes and Proceedings. Early this morning, in Committee, we divided on an Amendment concerning sums to be paid by aliens for surgical appliances. In Votes and Proceedings it is recorded that 22 hon. Members voted for the Amendment—incidentally, against the advice of the Leader of the House. These names are not given in Votes, but usually they are given in the appendix to the Votes. Today, the names of those 22 hon. Members are not in the appendix, presumably because the list went to the printers too late.

Hon. Members are in the difficulty that it is impossible to find out who were those 22 Members. I am told that the only list of names is now at the printers. I ask you to consider, Mr. Speaker, making arrangements so that, in future, hon. Members can find out from the Table the names of hon. Members voting in late Divisions. It is rather more than an academic point, because there are many hon. Members who want today to know whether there is any truth in the rumour, which deeply distresses us, that one Member of the Government was among the 22 rebels.

Mr. Speaker

I should be very glad to consider that matter. The House will, I think, agree that, when we have these very late Sittings, it is very much to the credit of the printers that they can produce the Votes and Proceedings even in the form in which they are put before the House. [HON. MEMBERS: "Hear, hear."] The Division Lists, of course, take much longer to print, especially when there is a large number of them. All I should like to say is that I will consider the point which the hon. Gentleman has

raised and see whether I can do anything about it.

Mr. T. Driberg

Further to that point of order. Would it be possible to consider putting a duplicate or copy of the Division List in question in the Library with the typescript of the report of late Sittings which is already available there?

Mr. Speaker

I will consider that also.