HC Deb 21 May 1968 vol 765 cc297-8
Mr. Montgomery

On a point of order. May I ask your guidance Mr. Speaker on a point that has caused great inconvenience to some hon. Members this morning? Because this House was sitting, those of us who had parties coming round here found that we were— [Interruption.] I am sorry if some hon. Members opposite object to this, but it is an important point. People arrange these visits a long time in advance. [Interruption.] If hon. Members would be quiet and allow me to finish—

Mr. Speaker

Order. The hon. Gentleman would do better to address the Chair.

Mr. Montgomery

I realise that the business of Parliament must go on, but the point I wish to raise was that hon. Members were not allowed to take their visitors into the other place unless they took them six at a time. As the feeling is that next week will be rather a busy one, from a Parliamentary point of view, and as other hon. Members will be taking parties round, could this matter be looked at, Sir, so that other hon. Members do not have the inconvenience that most of us have had today?

Mr. Speaker

One of my duties is to protect this place against the other place. The last thing, therefore, that Mr. Speaker could do would be to interfere with the other place. What happened last night and this morning took place according to one of the Standing Orders of the House. It involves the kind of inconvenience that the hon. Gentleman mentions, but Mr. Speaker can do nothing about it.