HC Deb 07 March 1957 vol 566 cc530-1
45. Mr. A. Lewis

asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that due to the continued rise in the cost of living many Members of Parliament are finding it difficult to carry out adequately their duties, and that the present system of Parliamentary procedure prevents many of these Members from earning additional money outside of the House of Commons; and whether he will, therefore, take steps to revise the sittings and business of the House of Commons in such a way as to enable all Members to have the opportunity of earning money outside their Parliamentary salaries.

The Prime Minister (Mr. Harold Macmillan)

I do not believe that a proposal that the House should meet much later than 2.30 p.m. daily would command the general support of the House. With regard to the wider question, I cannot add to the Answers I have already given to the hon. Gentleman.

Mr. Lewis

The Prime Minister has completely misunderstood. I had in mind meeting at eight o'clock or nine o'clock in the morning. Whilst that would be unreasonable to hon. Members who are able to go out to earn money, is he not aware of the unfairness of the present position, where hon. Members who have no income from outside have to stay and man the Committees at all hours to enable the others to go out? I do not ask him for a reply now, but will he please bear this in mind, because it is an anomaly that wants looking into?

The Prime Minister

Yes, Sir. I will bear all these matters in mind. I am sorry if I misunderstood the hon. Gentleman's Question. I thought he was suggesting, not that we should meet at eight o'clock, but later in the day, in order to leave more of the day open. I will only add that I think that hon. Members as a whole have always taken a fair share of the Committee work. [Interruption.] It is very well shared.

Mr. Gaitskell

Whilst I appreciate that the Prime Minister has these matters under consideration, may I ask him if he is aware that there is a widespread feeling in the House that too much of the burden of the work of Committees falls on only some of the Members, and that that is one of the points that has frequently been put forward in debates on the subject in the past?

The Prime Minister

I would, of course, look into that in detail, but in my recollection here over a fairly long time, I would have said that the Committees were pretty widely carried by the Members as a whole.