§ Mr. MoonmanOn a point of order. In view of the large number of Questions on the Order Paper today, and the serious consequences for hundreds of thousands of asthmatic and bronchial patients arising from the shortage of influenza vaccine, have you been approached, Mr. Speaker, by my right hon. Friend about making a statement, as this would be the last opportunity before Christmas?
§ Mr. SpeakerI have every sympathy with any hon. Member who is anxious about a Question which has not been reached on the Order Paper. Every day many important Questions are not reached. Having said that, I have had no request from the Minister to answer the Questions to which the hon. Member refers.
§ Later—
§ Mr. Frank AllaunOn a point of order.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I hope that we will not have too many points of order. Otherwise, Mr. Speaker will get impatient.
§ Mr. AllaunFurther to the point of order raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Billericay (Mr. Moonman), you will have noticed, Mr. Speaker, that there are 88 Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. When the amalgamation of those Ministries was proposed, several months ago, several hon. Members, including myself, pointed out that precisely this situation would arise. Would you not think that this gives cause for reconsideration of providing two days for these two subjects?
§ Mr. SpeakerI say very seriously that one of the problems of this Parliament is that it is the keenest Parliament in history, with more questions on the Order Paper every day to every Minister. If we provide separate days for the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Commonwealth Relations, both being the same Minister, someone else would have to suffer. It is a problem which the hon. Member must take up with the Ministers concerned. It is beyond the wit of Mr. Speaker, and probably of the Ministers, to solve.