§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The House will be aware that the hon. Member for Ilford, North (Mr. Iremonger) yesterday raised as a matter of privilege the nonappearance of the printed Order Papers of the House, and submitted that the failure to print constituted a prima facie contempt of the House.
As the House knows, the Order Paper is printed by the Stationery Office in accordance with directions given at the beginning of each Session. The Order Paper for yesterday was duly printed in proof on Wednesday, 30th April, and for the convenience of Members a roneoed copy was made under my authority on that afternoon, as the Controller of the Stationery Office had notified the authorities of the House that, due to circumstances beyond his control, it might not be possible to provide the normal printed Order Paper and Notices of Motion on the morning of 1st May.
I cannot find that in these circumstances any contempt of the House was involved, since the duty of printing is specifically laid upon the Controller, and 1768 there is no question that he was in any way negligent. All notices which have been sent to him in the usual course are being printed and issued as soon as possible.
I must, therefore, rule that a prima facie case has not been made out by the hon. Member. In saying this I do not, of course, prejudge the subject which he raised, and my Ruling does not prevent him from carrying the matter further by any of the other courses which are open to him. All that I am now ruling is that I cannot give this matter priority over the Orders of the Day.
§ Mr. T. L. Iremonger (Ilford, North)On a point of order. May I respectfully thank you, Mr. Speaker, for your Ruling, which, naturally, the House will accept. Perhaps it would not be out of order for me to say that I am sure that the House as a whole would wish to say to you and the Officers who serve the House how very much appreciated was the great zeal and devotion to duty they showed in responding to this crisis with such resourcefulness and energy.
§ Mr. SpeakerI thank the hon. Gentleman.
§ Mr. R. Gresham Cooke (Twickenham)While accepting your Ruling, Mr. Speaker, I think that it must be put on record that the action of printers in this way is calculated—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. My Ruling means that I am not giving the matter precedence over the Orders of the Day.
The Clerk will now proceed to read the Orders of the Day.