HC Deb 07 February 1967 vol 740 cc1356-7

Order for Second Reading read.

Motion made, That the Bill be now read a Second time.

Mr. Speaker

Before I propose the Question, That the Bill be now read a Second time, I may perhaps dispose of a point of order made to me yesterday by the hon. Member for Wycombe (Mr. John Hall) and other hon. Members. The Question that I am about to propose constitutes a new Question under our rules of procedure—that is to say, any Member of the House is entitled to catch Mr. Speaker's eye. If the debate had been adjourned from last week, only those who had not already spoken would have been in order. But reference to the Votes and Proceedings will show that, unlike the next Order on today's Paper, the debate on the Consolidated Fund Bill was not adjourned but was concluded in another manner. That marks the difference, from the point of view of our procedure, between the first Order of today and the Second Order.

Question proposed.

Mr. Eldon Griffiths (Bury St. Edmunds)

On a point of order. When the House was counted out the other night the debate that was under way at the time had been introduced by me. The debate was on the European Launcher Development Organisation. Because the House was counted out—due to the incompetence of the Government—the Minister was unable to reply. He rose to reply but he was prevented from doing so. May I ask whether the Minister now intends to reply to the points that I put to him?

Mr. Speaker

The Chair is aware—as the hon. Member might suspect—of all the events that took place on that occasion. If he studies the Ruling that I have just given he will understand why I am calling the hon. Gentleman. I am calling.

Sir John Eden (Bournemouth, West)

Is it in order for my hon. Friend the Member for Bury St. Edmunds (Mr. Eldon Griffiths) at a later stage to catch your eye, Mr. Speaker, and to raise over again the same matters that he sought to raise on the earlier occasion?

Mr. Speaker

I do not think that the hon. Gentleman has understood the Ruling that I made. We are now taking the Second Reading of the Consolidated Fund Bill. In my Ruling I said that any hon. Member who seeks to catch my eye may seek to catch it. Whether or not he catches it is another matter.