HC Deb 27 May 1971 vol 818 cc589-91
Dr. Gilbert

On a different point of order, Mr. Speaker. May I draw your attention to the very recent development in the treatment and handling of Prime Minister's Questions in the Table Office? Before going any further, I assure you, Mr. Speaker, that I have no complaint whatsoever about the behaviour of the clerks in the Table Office, who at all times give hon. Members every possible assistance and are quite beyond praise for their diligence and good humour. The point at present is that Prime Minister's Questions have always been treated differently from other Ministers' Questions, as we are well aware, but the new procedure is not only are they looked at by two clerks before they can get on to the Order Paper, but also apparently—and this is the recent development—they have to be sent upstairs for detailed scrutiny to see whether any material in them has been dealt with in the House beforehand.

I am not concerned at all to ascertain on whose authority these instructions were given, nor do I seek to question the judgment of those who think that the Prime Minister needs more protection than either his colleagues or his predecessors. It is quite clear that he needs all the protection he can get. What I am concerned about is the effect upon the four o'clock bag. It now means that Questions for the Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister alone, have to be taken to the Table Office much earlier than they have had to be in the past in order to ensure that they get in for the four o'clock bag. As I am sure you will appreciate, Mr. Speaker, the whole purpose of the bag is to enable hon. Members to put down Questions between 3.30 and 4 o'clock, after the Prime Minister has answered Questions, to get them on for the next due date. This has become very difficult, if not impossible.

Would you, Mr. Speaker, therefore, please investigate this matter on behalf of back benchers to see whether you think that this procedure is justified, and, if not, have it scrapped? If it is necessary, could you take the matter in hand and see whether any other safeguards for back benchers could be introduced, such as, say, sending a special bag over for Prime Ministers' Questions an hour later by some other procedure, so that back benchers know exactly when they have to get their Questions to the Table Office to be sure of getting them in for the next due date?

Mr. Speaker

The hon. Member has a perfect right to raise this point of order, but it is my duty to protect the time of the House and I rather deprecate it. A preliminary communication would have given me time to consider the matter to see whether I could iron the matter out, and whether I could help.

However, I have been asked to rule, and I propose to rule. I cannot comment on the substance of any of the Questions which have been withheld from the Paper because they have not been referred to me for my decision in the customary manner. If the hon. Member asks for this to be done, it will be, and I will of course consider them.

With regard to the wider points, it is the duty of the Table Office to satisfy themselves that all Questions are in order before they are sent to the printer. I have to point out that if a Member attaches particular importance to his Question catching the 4 o'clock "pouch", he will be well advised, in his own interest, to see that it is brought or sent in in good time, so that any necessary discussion or researches can be completed by that hour. I understand that it is the long-standing practice of the Table Office, dating from well before the present Administration, that all Questions to the Prime Minister should be seen by at least two clerks before being sent to the printer.