HC Deb 09 March 1966 vol 725 cc2116-7
Mr. H. Hynd

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I seek your guidance on a practice which has crept into our procedure to the detriment of the dignity of the House. Whenever we have an important debate now, after five minutes before the end the Leader of the Opposition gives a signal and then there is about five minutes of organised hooliganism from the other side of the House. It happened last night. Even the Daily Telegraph this morning—

Mr. Speaker

Order. I am not sure that the hon. Member for Accrington (Mr. Hynd) is in order in quoting from a newspaper if he is asking a question of Mr. Speaker. I hope that we can leave the events of last night alone and not pursue an inquest into what arose last night.

Hon. Members

Why not?

Mr. Speaker

There is no reason why not. The Chair is only expressing a pious hope and I hope that hon. Members will note it.

Sir H. Legge-Bourke

Further to that point of order. Bearing in mind the sympathy which the House naturally has has for the Chair when put in appalling difficulty when there are incidents such as happened last night, may I ask you, Mr. Speaker, to recognise that if Ministers do not choose to answer questions which have been put to them—

Mr. Speaker

Order. That is pursuing the inquest which I thought it would not be in the best interests of the House to pursue.