HC Deb 17 February 1976 vol 905 cc1129-30
Mr. Rees-Davies

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I should like to refer to the point of order raised yesterday by the hon. Member for Barking (Miss Richardson). The hon. Lady gave me no notice that she was to make a reference to me. I understand it is the normal convention and courtesy of the House that when such matters are raised the hon. Member concerned should be informed and be able to reply.

Mr. John Mendelson

Why were you not here?

Mr. Speaker

Order. Interruptions from a sedentary position spoil everything in this place. I wish hon. Members would contain themselves.

Mr. Rees-Davies

The hon. Lady made a great mistake. She said that to have the Bill talked out by mistake makes an absolute mockery of this House. Those facts are entirely wrong. There was no question of a mistake, as the hon. Lady must have known. As the debate drew on, having lasted not a very long time, I drew her attention to the fact that there had been a Select Committee and that hon. Members were willing to give the Bill a Second Reading provided that it went to the Select Committee.

The Leader of the House made the point——

Mr. Speaker

Order. I must ask the hon. and learned Gentleman to come to the point of order he wishes to raise with me.

Mr. Rees-Davies

The point of order is that, having corrected the record, the Lord President of the Council yesterday said: there is a tremendous sense of grievance amongst many hon. Members at what occurred on Friday. If it will help, I will examine the matter and discuss it with you and my hon. Friends to see whether we can find a way out of the difficulty".—[Official Report, 16th February 1976; Vol. 905, c. 952–955.] The right hon. Gentleman did not say that he would discuss the matter with me or any of my colleagues or, indeed, anybody on this side of the House.

The point is that the right hon. Gentleman set up the Select Committee to report last year. It reported in July. Hon. Gentlemen opposite have asked for the Select Committee to be reappointed, but the Government have refused that request. Having refused to reappoint the Select Committee, they put up a Front Bench speaker to speak until one minute to 4 o'clock so that Back Benchers were unable to speak to the Bill.

Mr. Speaker

Order. It is quite clear that is not a point of order for me. It is a matter for the Government.

Mr. Rees-Davies

Further to that point of order——

Mr. Speaker

Order. I have ruled that it is not a point of order.