HC Deb 15 November 1976 vol 919 cc929-30
Mr. Adley

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. At the beginning of Question Time you made a statement to the effect that you would limit the calling of supplementary questions mainly to hon. Members with Questions on the Order Paper. Out of 30 Questions today to the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection there were three—Nos. 7, 19 and 30—put down by Members of the Labour Party, not one of whom, apparently, was present. Can you please tell us how you will find yourself able to organise yourself on the basis of your guiding statement and could you find out from the Prime Minister whether the Parliamentary Labour Party has given up supporting the Government?

Mr. Speaker

Order. The hon. Gentleman's point of order gives me an opportunity to remind those hon. Members who were not here at the beginning of our proceedings that at Question Time, where a number of Questions are linked together, I intend to call the hon. Members asking those Questions before I call anyone else.

Secondly, I ask hon. Members to read with care in Hansard tomorrow the sort of supplementary questions that they have asked today and the length of the answers that they have received. They will then discover that the art of asking direct questions seems to be leaving us.

Mr. Heffer

Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. May I ask whether there is an intention of imposing any limits in respect of the number of Questions which can be linked together? There are hon. Members in this House who do not regularly put down a whole series of Questions but who assiduously attend this House at Question Time and who, from time to time, like myself, involve themselves in supplementary questions. On the basis of your statement, Mr. Speaker, it would appear that hon. Members such as myself will from now on have to waste people's time in the Ministry by putting down a whole series of sometimes quite unnecessary Questions.

Mr. Speaker

There is no question of unfairness. I am following the practice that has been followed all through my period in the House, except for the last few years, in which those whose Questions are being called have priority over everyone else. I believe that that is the general will of the House.

Mr. Heffer

Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. I am afraid that you did not answer the point I made about the number of Questions which can be linked together.

Mr. Speaker

Twice on recent occasions hon. Members have protested to me that we have not gone far enough in Question Time. I must take what steps are open to me, if it is the will of the House that we go further in Question Time, to ensure that those who have given notice of Questions have their Questions answered if they are reached. I cannot extend the same guarantee to those hon. Members who have not put Questions on the Order Paper.