TEN-MINUTE RULE BILLS (ALLOCATION OF DAYS) (Hansard, 30 November 1967)

§ Mr. Maclennan
On a point of order. I am sensible of the fact that the matter which I wished to raise is of less weight than that which has just been discussed, but it is none the less of importance. I wish to seek your guidance, Mr. Speaker, on the subject of the procedure for the allocation of days to private Members for the presentation of Bills under the Ten-Minute Rule.
The practice appears to have grown up for the Public Bill Office, even before the hour at which it is officially open, to allocate days to hon. Members on the principle of first come, first served. I suggest that it would be more in keeping with the practice of the House and altogether more equitable to arrange for a ballot for the presentation of Bills under the Ten-Minute Rule on the analogy of the ordinary Private Member's Bill procedure. The present system is liable to an embarrassing and antediurnal hustle in the corridors.

§ Mr. Speaker
I learned as I came into the Chair that the hon. Gentleman was to raise this point of order and I have had a report from the Clerk about what happened this morning.
As the hon. Gentleman has said, applications for the right to introduce Bills under the Ten-Minute Rule were made at ten o'clock this morning at the Public Bill Office. Some hon. Members were there waiting at half past nine and the Clerk of the Public Bill Office felt that it would be a waste of their time to let them wait until ten o'clock. It did not affect the issue. The first to come would be the first served even if they had stayed there from half past nine to ten o'clock and then put in their names.
The House is not too keen to extend the ballot method, but if the hon. Gentleman wishes seriously to suggest that the application for leave to introduce Bills under the Ten-Minute Rule should be the subject of a ballot, by all means let him put it to the Select Committee on Procedure, or to the Services Committee.

§ Mr. James Davidson
Further to that point of order. As one who was present this morning during this incident. may I respectfully ask you, Mr. Speaker, to 673 remind the hon. Member for Caithness and Sutherland (Mr. Maclennan) that Clerks of the House are servants of the House and should not in any circumstances be subjected to the kind of gross discourtesy to which I and at least two other hon. Members on this side of the House were witnesses this morning?

§ Mr. Speaker
I hoped that we would not pursue that aspect on the Floor of the House. This was a point of order.