§ Mr. StanbrookOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I gave your office some notice of my intention to raise this point of order. I apologise if it was not sufficient for you to be apprised by this stage.
I wish to draw your attention to proceedings in this House on Friday on the Motor-Cycle Crash-Helmets (Religious Exemption) Bill, which was given a Third Reading by 40 votes to 11. It was passed without a debate because, although there was a motion on the Order Paper requisitioning a debate, it was signed by only five hon. Members.
On the previous day, that motion had been signed by the requisite six names. In the course of Thursday to Friday, the name of the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Mr. Rooker) was withdrawn. Why he withdrew his name, I know not. The fact is that he voted against the Bill on Friday. As I have not spoken to the hon. Gentleman since, I shall leave that matter there.
The effect of the hon. Gentleman's withdrawing his name at the last moment was to prevent this issue from being debated at all. As the Bill was passed on the nod on Second Reading and was therefore passed without debate on Third Reading, an important principle has been decided without any word having been spoken in this House either for or against it. I refer to the exemption of a particular minority community from the application of the criminal law which otherwise applies to everyone in this country. The 1296 consequences are very important and arise apparently because the hon. Member for Perry Barr withdrew his name from the motion at the last moment before anyone had an opportunity of substituting another name, which could have been done.
Therefore, I ask you, Mr. Speaker, whether this matter may be referred to the Select Committee on Procedure and whether in any event you will instruct the Table Office that when one Member out of six whose signatures appear on such a motion withdraws his name at the last moment, the name should not be taken off the motion until after the principal sponsor of the motion has been informed.
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Gentleman has raised a matter which is not a point of order for me. If any hon. Member wishes to withdraw his name from a motion, he may do so at any time. The hon. Gentleman's further suggestion is a matter for the Leader of the House.