HC Deb 09 April 1970 vol 799 cc749-51
Sir D. Renton

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. May I invite your attention to the fact that we have not reached Prime Minister's Question No. Q4 today, and that the principal reason is the very lengthy answers given by the Prime Minister, answers which were not only lengthy but in which he went out of his way to deal with matters which were not within his responsibility or that of any member of his Government?

May I, with humility, ask you to protect the interests of the House against this ever-growing practice of the Prime Minister?

Mr. Speaker

Order. It is true that we did not reach Question No. Q4, but Questions Nos. Q1, Q2, Q3, Q8 and Q10 were answered. Lengthy answers were made, but there were also lengthy questions. I have no power to direct a Minister to answer a question in the way in which the right hon. and learned Gentleman would want it answered.

Mr. Michael Foot

Further to that point of order. Will you take into account in giving your judgment about Questions and Answers today, Mr. Speaker, that the Leader of the Opposition chose to use this occasion, during the course of Questions being answered by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, to deliver a speech—admittedly, so far as we could see, an entirely unscripted and extemporary speech, and one of the best we have heard from him in the House for a long time? But does not that make it awkward for the Prime Minister to deal with as many Questions as some would wish if the right hon. Gentleman chooses such inadvantageous moments for delivering these speeches?

Mr. Speaker

I am sure that the Prime Minister will appreciate the way in which the hon. Member for Ebbw Vale (Mr. Michael Foot) has leapt to his defence.

Mr. Kirk

Further to the point of order, Mr. Speaker. May I draw your attention to the fact that Question No. Q4, of vital importance to a very large number of hon. Members, was put down at 9.30 a.m. on the first available day for Answer?

Mr. Russell Kerr

Too early.

Mr. Kirk

Curiously enough, this is a serious point of order of relevance to every back bench Member.

If it is impossible for the Prime Minister to answer more than two Questions effectively in a quarter of an hour, could we have a longer time for Prime Minister's Questions, so that some of us have a chance to have an Answer?

Mr. Speaker

Order. I have said over and over again that I am not without sympathy for the hon. Member who puts down a Question and fails to have it reached because supplementary questions are long, or there are many of them. This problem concerns every hon. Member. I would commend to the House the Report of the Select Committee on Procedure, which deals with this question among others and which may be discussed some time. Mr. Heath. Business Question.

Mr. Kenneth Lewis

Further to that point of order—

Mr. Speaker

Order. I hope that we shall not have very many points of order.

Mr. Kenneth Lewis

I want to put a serious point of order to you, Mr. Speaker. If we are in the position where we cannot reach Question No. Q4, would not it be better if later Questions on the Order Paper were not called with the earlier Questions for the Prime Minister to answer? Today, two Questions that were late on the list were called with the early Questions. If that had not happened Question No. Q4 asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Saffron Walden (Mr. Kirk) would have been reached.

Mr. Speaker

That is true, but it is also a complaint of the House sometimes that when a Minister groups Questions he should not have done so.

Mr. Biggs-Davison

On a point of order. As it is clearly still winter, will not the Prime Minister seek your leave to answer Question No. Q.4, Mr. Speaker?

Mr. Speaker

That is not a point for Mr. Speaker.