HC Deb 19 April 1967 vol 745 cc588-9
Mr. Fortescue

I beg to give notice that on Friday, 5th May, I shall call attention to direct works departments of local authorities, and move a Resolution.

Mr. Lubbock

On a point of order. I have been in the House for five years now—[Interruption.]

Mr. Speaker

Order. The House should not give undue significance to an innocent remark.

Mr. Lubbock

—and I have regularly been putting my name into these Ballots, but I suppose I must be lucky in love because I have always been unfortunate in the Ballot.

I was about to ask, Mr. Speaker, if you would give consideration to the exclusion of names from the Ballot of hon. Members who have been successful on previous occasions, because it appears that sometimes "Lady Luck" has smiled on some hon. Members more frequently than on others and that hon. Members who have not been given the opportunity of raising questions in private Members' time would now be given preference in these Ballots as compared with those who have been successful on previous occasions.

Mr. Speaker

This is an interesting suggestion. I cannot, of course, comment on the hon. Member's love affairs, but rules for the Ballot have been laid down by the House and the House would have to change them. It is not possible for Mr. Speaker to change them. For the moment all that the hon. Member must do is to sine Luck be a lady tonight".

Dr. David Kerr

To some of us the point raised by the hon. Member for Orpington (Mr. Lubbock) commends itself. I wonder whether it would be in order for the matter to be referred to the Select Committee on Procedure.

Mr. Speaker

It is always in order for an hon. Member, troubled about a point of procedure, to write to or to speak to members of the Select Committee on Procedure who are examining from time to time all kinds of problems of procedure. There is nothing to prevent an hon. Member from doing so.

Sir S. McAdden

Before you are led away on to speculating about the chances of luck in the Ballot, Sir, would you bear in mind, since you are giving consideration to this matter, that the hon. Member for Orpington (Mr. Lubbock) is a representative of a minority party in the House, but is given adequate opportunities to put supplementary questions?

Mr. Speaker

Order. The hon. Member, even with the best will in the world, must not question the selection made by M r. Speaker.

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