HC Deb 15 July 1969 vol 787 cc409-10
Mr. Peyton

On a point of order. May I raise a point with you and, at the same time, seek your guidance on an important matter relating to our proceedings on the Finance Bill, Mr. Speaker?

It may be within your knowledge that it was not until 2.50 p.m. today that copies of the Notice Paper making known the selection of Amendments and new Clauses to be discussed on the Finance Bill were available to hon. Members. It is not my intention to in any way reflect either on yourself or on the Clerks who, I know, would seek to do their best on all occasions, no matter how difficult the circumstances, to oblige the House and make our proceedings as easy as possible.

However, today, perhaps as a result of the congested state of business—and for this the Government must take their share of blame—hon. Members who wish to take part in our debates of the Finance Bill have been placed in a genuine difficulty because of being given only 45 minutes' notice of what was to be discussed.

Mr. Speaker

I am not unsympathetic to the point that the hon. Gentleman the Member for Yeovil (Mr. Peyton) has raised. Perhaps he will not be unsympathetic towards Mr. Speaker, who spent quite a time with his advisers making the selection as far as those tabled up to yesterday morning, and who, because of circumstances over which he had no control, had to deal with 29 starred Amendments put down today.

At some time during this rather hectic morning's activities we managed to get out a duplicated list, something which was not always available in the House, and we did this as early as we could. I hope that the inconvenience will not be as great as the hon. Gentleman fears.

Mr. Iain Macleod

Further to that point of order, and on a purely practical point, I am sure that the House appreciates the extreme burden on the Chair in selecting Amendments for Report. We are extremely grateful to you, Mr. Speaker, but you will realise that the list of Amendments which have been selected was put out rather late this afternoon. Therefore, I ask that if you receive requests which there has not yet been time to put to you for separate Divisions, you will consider this and in due time announce your decision?

Mr. Speaker

I will consider them in the non-committal way in which Mr. Speaker always considers requests for Divisions.