HC Deb 14 December 1971 vol 828 cc272-4
Mr. Speaker

Yesterday the right hon. Member for Vauxhall (Mr. Strauss) drew attention to the subject of Questions to Ministers and submitted that a situation had arisen in which interference with, or impediments placed on, hon. Members of this House in carrying out their parliamentry responsibilities might amount to a breach of privilege. I promised that I would consider the matter and rule on it this afternoon.

I have now had the opportunity of examining the precedents to which my attention was drawn yesterday and to consider all other relevant circumstances.

My decision is that the matter does not so clearly fall within the ambit of privilege as would justify me in giving it precedence over the Orders of the Day. My Ruling does not, of course, in any way inhibit the House in taking such action as it might think fit. The only effect of my Ruling is to prevent priority being given to a discussion in the context of privilege.

The Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. William Whitelaw)

The whole House will be grateful to you, Mr. Speaker, for your Ruling, and I hope that at this stage I may be able to help the House over the whole question, though I do not know whether I am in order in doing so now or whether I should be speaking to a point of order. May I proceed?

Mr. Speaker

The right hon. Gentleman may proceed.

Mr. Whitelaw

I believe that it would be right, as the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the Opposition suggested yesterday, that the whole problem of Questions and Question Time procedure should be considered by a special Select Committee of this House. I would accordingly propose that a Select Committee should be set up for this purpose as soon as possible after the Christmas Recess.

I would naturally wish to discuss its terms of reference and membership through the usual channels. I would further propose, if that were agreeable to the House, that I, as Leader of the House, should take the chair of this Committee.

Mr. Harold Wilson

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that he has earned the thanks of all of us on this side of the House for so rapidly adopting what we proposed to him yesterday? I am sure he will not take it amiss if I congratulate him on the different way in which this matter has been handled today compared with the way it was handled yesterday.

Mr. Thorpe

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that many of us feel that it would have been wrong if these events had been closed with the little apologia to which we were treated yesterday? We therefore welcome the setting up of this Committee and the fact that the right hon. Gentleman will take the chair during its deliberations. Does the Leader of the House intend that, before the Committee sits, there should be a debate in the House so that he might get the general views of hon. Members in all quarters, or does he envisage the Committee meeting and reporting, with its report subsequently being debated?

Mr. Whitelaw

I am placed in some difficulty. I do not know whether you wish me to reply, Mr. Speaker. If so, I shall be only too happy to do so.

Mr. Speaker

There is an element of irregularity in the whole of these proceedings—[Interruption.]—but I think it would be for the benefit of the whole House if the right hon. Gentleman were to answer.

Mr. Whitelaw

I am grateful to the Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Liberal Party for their comments. I do not propose to comment on some of their remarks, except to tell the Leader of the Liberal Party that I should not have thought that a debate was suitable before the Select Committee met. I take the view that this Select Committee would have wide terms of reference and would have the benefit, for some part of its work, of the valuable reports which have been presented in the past by the Select Committee on Procedure.

Several Hon. Members

rose—

Mr. Speaker

Order. I think it would be wise for us to get back to order. I imagine that there will be an opportunity for hon. Members to question the Leader of the House at business question time on Thursday.

Mr. Whitelaw

May I be allowed to point out, Mr. Speaker, that there will not be business questions in the normal way on Thursday? I have already announced the business for next week; but there will be one day next week when I shall announce the business for the first week after the Christmas Recess.

Mr. Harold Wilson

Would it require a Motion? If so, would it be debatable?

Mr. Whitelaw

Yes, it would. I am speaking without having taken advice; I may, therefore, subsequently be proved wrong. I understand that it would require a Motion and that it would be debatable.

Mr. Harold Wilson

Perhaps it would be better to leave any brief comments until then, without necessarily having a full debate on the subject.

Several Hon. Members

rose—

Mr. Speaker

Order. I think it would be much better for all of us, including myself, to digest the statement of the Leader of the House.