HC Deb 19 March 1975 vol 888 cc1643-4
Mr. Adley

On a point of order. May I raise with you, Mr. Speaker, a point of view that is fairly widely held in the House—that there is inadequate time for Questions to the Department of the Environment? Housing, transport, local government and planning all have to be grouped into one day. There are 66 Oral Questions on the Order Paper. Whereas under the previous Conservative Government, energy, trade and industry were initially, for instance, all part of the responsibility of the Department of Trade and Industry they now have their separate days. Will you, Mr. Speaker, see that this matter is brought to the attention of the relevant authorities?

Mr. Skinner

Further to that point of order. When you are considering this matter, Mr. Speaker, I hope that you will bear in mind that during the 31 years of the previous Conservative administration and certainly for the first part of it, this Question hour was dominated by many planted Questions, which were tabled by hon. Members of the present Opposition, including possibly the hon. Member for Christchurch and Lymington (Mr. Adley). It may be just possible that he is a little aggrieved because he cannot now put down his planted Questions.

Mr. Speaker

No doubt the Leader of the House will consider this matter. It is not a matter for me. It is a matter for discussion through the usual channels.

Mr. Mather

On a point of order. Have you any information, Mr. Speaker, whether the Home Secretary intends to make a statement tomorrow on the transfer of the Price sisters to Northern Ireland?

Mr. Speaker

No. That is a bogus point of order.

Mr. Kershaw

On a point of order. We have today, Mr. Speaker, the statement on the Defence Estimates. Is it not usual for a statement to be made in the House when they are published? Are we to have a statement today or tomorrow?

Mr. Speaker

Again, that is not a matter for the Chair. I do ask the House to support the Chair. I am trying to stop what are in fact false points of order. I can only do that with the assistance par- ticularly of experienced hon. Members. As the hon. Member knows, that is not a matter for the Chair. [Interruption.] In the last Parliament the other side were just bad.