§ The Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. William Whitelaw)I apologise for raising this matter in the absence of the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the Opposition, but I do so, Mr. Speaker, because I believe some agreement has been reached, and I think it would be greatly to the help of my hon. and right hon. Friends and of hon. Members in 1692 all parts of the House if, following the exchanges about a possible intervention by the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the Opposition in the debate about to begin, we could know if you are meaning to grant his request, and, if so, at what stage of the debate. I think that would be of help to the House.
§ Mr. SpeakerI must make it quite clear that it is not for me. It is for the House to decide whether the right hon. Gentleman is given leave. I understand that, subject to the length of the speeches by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Birmingham, Stechford (Mr. Roy Jenkins) and the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Kinross and West Perthshire (Sir Alec Douglas-Home), it would be convenient for the right hon. Gentleman's intervention to be made at the conclusion of the speech by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Kinross and West Perthshire