HC Deb 01 December 1954 vol 535 c158
Mr. Crookshank

I beg to move, That, during the present Session, except in such cases as the House may otherwise order—

  1. (1) No proceedings on a motion to which this Order applies shall be entered upon at or after half-past eleven of the clock.
  2. (2) If such a motion is under consideration at half-past eleven of the clock, Mr. Speaker shall forthwith put the question thereupon to the House, provided that, if he shall be of opinion that—
    1. (a) owing to the lateness of the hour at which consideration of the motion was entered upon, or
    2. (b) because of the importance of the subject matter of the motion,
    the time for debate has not been adequate, he shall interrupt the business and the debate shall stand adjourned till the next sitting (other than a Friday).
  3. (3) A debate which has been adjourned under paragraph (2) of this Order shall not be resumed later than eleven of the clock, but shall stand further adjourned till the next sitting (other than a Friday), and the foregoing provisions of this paragraph shall apply to any debate which has been further adjourned under this paragraph as if the further adjournment were an adjournment under paragraph (2) of this Order.
  4. (4) The Motions to which this Order applies are—
    1. (a) any Motion for an Humble Address to Her Majesty praying that a Statutory Instrument be annulled, and any Motion that a draft of an Order in Council be not submitted to Her Majesty in Council, or that a Statutory Instrument be not made;
    2. (b) any Motion that, or for an Humble Address to Her Majesty praying that, any other document which may be subject to proceedings in the House in pursuance of a Statute be annulled, or cease to be in force, or be not made.
This Motion is intended to continue an experiment which we made with regard to Prayers during the last Session. The previous Motion was passed on 31st March and I think that it has worked satisfactorily so far, but we are still in a period of experiment. I do not think that any hon. or right hon. Gentleman would be ready to see this Motion passed into a permanent Standing Order now and I suggest that during this Session we should carry on upon the experimental basis which has proved useful to hon. Members who have Prayers to offer to the House, and to the general convenience, in that, as a result, we do not have to sit unduly late. I hope that we can carry on with the experiment for another year, and then see where we are.

Question put, and agreed to.