FACTORIES BILL (Hansard, 14 April 1959)

HC Deb 14 April 1959 vol 603 cc819-20 819

§ As amended (in the Standing Committee), considered.

§ 3.36 p.m.

§ Mr. Ellis Smith (Stoke-on-Trent, South)
Mr. Speaker, I desire to raise several points of order. If you will arm yourself with Erskine May and Standing Orders, I think that you will, with respect, be able to follow the points I wish to make. For the sake of greater accuracy, I have obtained copies of them myself.
First, I should like to ask the Patronage Secretary or the two Patronage Secretaries, since there are two of them—

§ Mr. Speaker
If it is a point of order, it ought to be addressed to me, not to the Patronage Secretary.

§ Mr. Ellis Smith
I admit that, Sir. My points of order will depend upon the intention of the Patronage Secretary. I wish to ask whether it is the intention of the Government to proceed with the Third Reading of the Bill tonight.

§ Mr. Speaker
That is not for me. I cannot answer that. I have no idea at all, any more than the hon. Member himself.

§ Mr. Ellis Smith
Then I will proceed with my points of order. I submit, Mr. Speaker, that it would be entirely out of order to proceed with the Third Reading at this sitting.

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. It will not be out of order at all. If it is decided to do so, it can be taken.

§ Mr. Ellis Smith
If you will follow the Standing Orders and Erskine May, Mr. Speaker, you will there see that my case is based upon a study of those. My first point is based upon Standing Order No. 47.

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. The Order of the Day which we are considering is the consideration of the Factories Bill. Whether or not, after that, we go on to the Third Reading is another question. We have not reached that stage yet. We have the consideration to complete. If the hon. Member has a point of order about going on to Third Reading, he had 820 better raise it then. We must go on with the consideration of the Bill now.

§ Mr. Ellis Smith
I thank you, Mr. Speaker, with great respect, for that advice. May I, then, have your assurance that I can safeguard my Parliamentary rights when this stage of the Bill has been disposed of and be able to raise my twelve points of order to show why it would be out of order to proceed with the Third Reading, in accordance with Standing Orders and Erskine May?

§ Mr. Speaker
If the hon. Member has a point of order about further business, we can deal with that when we come to it. At present, we are bound, by the Order of the Day, to proceed to consider the Factories Bill, and that is our first duty.

§ Mr. William Ross (Kilmarnock)
Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. You will recollect that in interrupting a point made by my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South (Mr. Ellis Smith), you said that it would not be out of order. Do I take it now that you have withdrawn that remark?