§ 47. Mr. Allaunasked the Prime Minister whether, in order to give better opportunities to Members and to relieve pressure on the Order Paper on other days, he will move to amend Standing Order No. 8, with a view to providing for the taking of Oral Questions on Friday mornings.
§ The Prime MinisterTo have Oral Questions on Fridays would be contrary to the practice of this House and it would not, I think, be convenient to adopt the hon. Gentleman's suggestion.
§ Mr. AllaunIn view of the growth and importance of Question Time and its value to private Members, would the Prime Minister consider trying my suggestion for an experimental period?
§ The Prime MinisterI do not think so. Curiously enough, my Answer—I did not know this until after I had drafted it—coincides closely with the Answer given by the right hon. Member for Lewisham, South (Mr. H. Morrison) when he was Leader of the House. I have had no representations in the interval in favour of this practice, which I believe would not be generally welcomed.
§ Lieut.-Colonel LiptonWould it not be a good idea, in order to stop some of these home-rule nationalist movements, if we had all the Scottish and Welsh Questions answered only on Friday?
§ Mr. RossWill not the Prime Minister give consideration to the congestion at Question Time, and turn his mind to the fact that since he became Prime Minister the work of two Departments has been turned over entirely to the Secretary of State for Scotland, which means that Scottish Members have only one day a week on which they are entitled to ask Questions?
§ The Prime MinisterI do not want to enter into these internal matters on this particular day.