HC Deb 26 February 1969 vol 778 cc1735-6
Sir C. Taylor

On a point of order. Are you able to advise the House, Mr. Speaker, on the little local difficulty which arose in the early hours of the morning, when an hon. Member was in possession of the Committee and the Closure Motion was moved so that the hon. Member who was speaking could not continue his speech?

Mr. Speaker

Order. Mr. Speaker has no official knowledge of what happens when Parliament is in Committee. I would always deprecate an appeal being made to Mr. Speaker against a decision of the Chair in Committee; and, indeed, about anything that may have happened in Committee.

Sir C. Taylor

It has been traditional that various matters of this nature have been referred to Mr. Speaker. I requested last night, even though you may not have any knowledge of it, that this procedure should have been referred to you. I did not give you notice because I assumed that, although you had no knowledge of it, it might perhaps have been brought to your attention.

Mr. Speaker

Order. With respect, the hon. Gentleman is an old Parliamentarian. He has not understood what I have said. Officially, Mr. Speaker has no knowledge at all of what goes on in Committee. It would be wrong to appeal to Mr. Speaker against what has happened in Committee, either about the Chairman of the Committee or about any other procedural event that took place in Committee. This is traditional, and I would have thought that the hon. Gentleman, with all his experience, knew that.

Sir C. Taylor

I am sorry to pursue this point, Sir, but if the tactics used early this morning are used again what redress have we got?

Mr. Speaker

Order. I have ruled on this twice. The hon. Gentleman has no redress through an appeal to Mr. Speaker about what happens in Committee. What happens in Committee must be dealt with in Committee. This is not a new invention of Mr. Speaker. This is the tradition of the House over a long time. Indeed, if the hon. Gentleman looks to his history he will realise that hundreds of years ago the Committee of the whole House was set up to keep Mr. Speaker out.