HC Deb 23 February 1971 vol 812 cc321-2
Mr. William Hamilton

You may recall, Mr. Speaker, that following the supplementary questions and answers on Question No. 4 the hon. and learned Member for Stoke Newington and Hackney (Mr. Weitzman) inadvertently said on a point of order that he would seek to raise the matter on the Adjournment, and you automatically excluded other hon. Members who had similar Questions on the Order Paper from asking supplementary questions. You may recall that Dr. King allowed such supplementary questions to be asked if he was satisfied that the hon. Member who asked the original Question was seeking to raise the matter on the Adjournment as an abuse to prevent other hon. Members from asking supplementary questions. My hon. Friend certainly was not consciously abusing the rules of procedure but did so inadvertently, and in those circumstances perhaps you would like to modify the Ruling which sought to exclude other hon. Members with similar Questions on the Order Paper.

Mr. Speaker

I will consider the point which the hon. Member put to me. He is inviting me to embark on rather dangerous ground. I think hon. and hon. and learned Members are assumed to know the logical consequences of their actions and their words, but I will consider what the hon. Member has said.