HC Deb 07 May 1970 vol 801 cc583-4
Mr. Marten

On a point of order. Now that Question Time has ended, may I follow the point of order raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon, North (Sir Ian Orr-Ewing) about Question Time?

When the Secretary of State for Education and Science was answering a supplementary question, he picked up a piece of paper and read out a fairly lengthy quotation. If I had done that, you would have ruled me out of order, Mr. Speaker. Are there two separate rules—one for Ministers and one for back benchers? Could you clarify this, please?

Mr. Speaker

It does not need clarifying. There are two separate rules—

Mr. Marten

Oh.

Mr. Speaker

There is no need for the hon. Gentleman to get indignant.

So far as he and other back benchers are concerned, it is out of order to quote in a supplementary question. A Minister is entitled to answer the question in the way he chooses. The Chair occasionally calls attention to the fact that Ministerial answers and back benchers' questions are too long—

Sir Ian Orr-Ewing

Further to that point of order—

Mr. Speaker

Order. The hon. Gentle. man knows the rules of order. When Mr. Speaker is on his feet, the hon. Gentleman must remain seated. The habit is growing of pursuing points of order.

Sir Ian Orr-Ewing

I had not appreciated that a Minister was allowed to quote during Question Time, Sir, but is it not also a rule that if they do quote from a document they must lay the document before the House? Could you give us a Ruling, Mr. Speaker?

Mr. Speaker

It depends on the nature of the document and the circumstances.