§ [FIFTH DAY]
§
Order read for resuming adjourned debate on Question [2Ist April]:
That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, as follows:
Most Gracious Sovereign,
We, Your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in Parliament assembled, beg leave to offer our humble thanks to Your Majesty for the Gracious Speech which Your Majesty has addressed to both Houses of Parliament.
Question again proposed.
§ Mr. SpeakerBefore I call the first speaker, may I mention that so far 36 hon. and right hon. Members have intimated that they wish to catch my eye in this debate, including 12 new Members. Because hon. Members were co-operative yesterday, I was able to call 15 back benchers. I hope that hon. and right hon. Members who are called today will be equally fair to others in the length of speeches that they make. I appreciate the keenness of new Members in wishing to take part in debates as early as possible, but I shall be unable to call more than three today.
§ Mr. Sydney Silverman (Nelson and Colne)On a point of order. Before the House resumes the debate on the Loyal Address, may I ask whether you, Mr. Speaker, have considered the representations which you were kind enough to receive about the Amendment to the Address in the names of my hon. Friend the Member for Ebbw Vale (Mr. Michael Foot) and 60 or 70 other hon. Members, and if so, what conclusion you have reached?
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Gentleman will know that it is not possible for the House to criticise the Chair in the selection of Amendments, which is a right that the House gives to the Chair. I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for raising this matter in the House. He and his colleagues came to see me and made very courteous representations this morning. I am afraid that a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still, and that applies either to myself or to the 716 three hon. Members who came to see me this morning.
The position is quite simple. If the hon. Gentleman will refer to Erskine May and Campion on Procedure he will find that the debate on the Gracious Speech normally falls into two parts: first, a general debate on the policy of the Government as outlined in the Gracious Speech; and, secondly, a debate on Amendments moved, for the most part, by the Opposition advocating alternative policies. When this debate opened, the Leader of the Opposition indicated the line which the Opposition thought that the debate should take and the kind of Amendment which they intended to propose towards the end of the debate.
It has been the practice for at least the last 15 years that, in selecting the Amendments which are to be considered, Mr. Speaker should select those tabled by the official Opposition. If he were to select other Amendments, then he would be narrowing the debate on that day to subjects chosen, quite rightly in the opinion of the group which tabled the Amendment, by one or other of various groups in the House. I see no reason at present why I should vary the practice of the last 15 or 16 years, which is to choose the Amendments tabled by the official Opposition. This represents the historic right of Her Majesty's Opposition, on the one hand, and the negotiations between the usual channels to decide the course of the debate on the Gracious Speech, on the other.
I believe that it would not have been right to do other than I have done. This I explained very carefully to the hon. Members who came to see me this morning. May I add that I am always very happy to meet hon. Members if they have any problems which they want to put to me privately.