BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE (Hansard, 3 March 1975)

Several Hon. Members
rose—

§ Mr. Speaker
I call Mr. Short.

§ The Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Edward Short)
With permission, Mr. Speaker, I should like to make a short business statement.

§ Mr. John Gorst (Hendon, North)
rose—

§ Mr. Walter Clegg (North Fylde)
rose—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. I called the Leader of the House. Mr. Short.

§ Mr. Gorst
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.

§ Mr. Speaker
I may perhaps take points of order afterwards. I want to hear what the Leader of the House has to say.

§ Mr. Gorst
rose—

Hon. Members
Name him.

§ Mr. Short
In view of the rate of progress on the Report stage—

§ Mr. Gorst
rose—

§ Mr. Speaker
I have said that I want to hear first what the Leader of the 1226 House has to say. I might perhaps take a point of order after that.

§ Mr. Short
In view of the rate of progress on the Report stage of the Finance Bill—

§ Mr. Gorst
rose—

§ Mr. Short
—the Government will ask the House to consider a motion relating to the remaining stages of the Bill. The motion has been tabled and will be taken as first business at tomorrow's sitting.
Secondly, in view of the imminent risk of redundancies, the House will also be asked to consider at the end of Wednesday a motion relating to financial assistance to Norton Villiers Triumph Limited.

Several Hon. Members
rose—

§ Mr. Speaker
I call the right hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Peyton).

§ Mr. John Peyton (Yeovil)
rose—

§ Mr. Gorst
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.

§ Mr. Speaker
I called the right hon. Member for Yeovil.

§ Mr. Gorst
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.

Hon. Members
Name him.

§ Mr. Speaker
If I think it appropriate, I will take the point of order after I have heard the right hon. Gentleman.

§ Mr. Peyton
I think the whole House—or at least the Opposition—will have heard the statement made by the Leader of the House with disgust and dismay. We deplore his evident concern to throttle discussion upon tax measures which will have a fierce bearing on many people.
Secondly, I should like to ask the right hon. Gentleman why suddenly, at this late 1227 hour, the Government have discovered that the motion relating to financial assistance to Norton Villiers Triumph Limited is so urgent. It has, I think, been on the Order Paper for four months. Are we to take it that the convenience of the Secretary of State for Industry is to be weighed above that of the House of Commons? We would like confirmation of that, although in the circumstances we would greet that confirmation without surprise.

§ Mr. Edward Short
The right hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Peyton) is entitled to an answer to that question. It is because the Chairman of Norton Villiers Triumph has informed us today that this money must be forthcoming this week, otherwise there will be redundancies. This is the first that the Government have heard of the urgency of the matter.

§ Mr. Jeremy Thorpe (Devon, North)
Will the Leader of the House be good enough to say why we are first invited to vote to adjourn consideration of the Bill and only afterwards are we given any explanation by the right hon. Gentleman? Are we to take this to be a precedent that he intends to follow in the future?

§ Mr. Speaker
We have had a vote on the motion. That has been decided. In accordance with convention, I have allowed the Leader of the House to make a statement about business, and I gather that its very controversial substance will be debated tomorrow. I think that that is the end of it.

Several Hon. Members
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker—

§ Mr. Speaker
I am prepared to take one point of order—[HON. MEMBERS: "No."]—which is quite contrary to precedent.

Several Hon. Members
rose—

§ Mr. Speaker
Mr. Emery. A point of order.

§ Mr. Peter Emery (Honiton)
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. May I ask you to consider, perhaps in slightly calmer times, the position we have reached? In a moment of pressure, if the Chair does not finally put the Question and another hon. Member—in this 1228 instance the Leader of the House—rises to address the House, not on a point of order, would you not consider that the debate had been resumed and that the motion had not been put to the House? If that is the case I wonder whether you could give a ruling to the House, because it is most important, especially to protect the rights of minorities.

§ Mr. Speaker
I always try to do that. In fact, the motion was put. There was a Division. [HON. MEMBERS: "No."] I thought that I announced the result of the Division. Then I allowed, as I think is the convention of the House, the Leader of the House to make a statement. I allowed one supplementary question on that. I am afraid that this is the end of it.

Several Hon. Members
rose—

§ Mr. Walter Harrison (Treasurer of Her Majesty's Household)
I beg to move, That this House—

Several Hon. Members
On a point of order—

§ Mr. Speaker
Hon. Members may shout at me as much as they like. I intend now—Hon. Members: ["No."] I intend now to call the Adjournment motion.