HC Deb 07 July 1977 vol 934 cc1424-5
Mrs. Wise

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. May I have your guidance on whether it is customary for closure motions to be accepted in the House either before a Minister has spoken or while a Minister is on his feet? If it is not customary to accept closures in the House in those circumstances, can you advise us why it is happening in Committee Room No. 9 upstairs?

Mr. Speaker

It is not customary— and it is not the done thing, either—to refer to Standing Committees until they have reported. But I can answer the hon. Lady on the general question. The acceptance of a closure motion is at the discretion of the Chair and the decision of the House afterwards.

Mr. Heffer

Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. You have just said that it is not customary to refer in the House to what happens in Standing Committees. I have been in this House for quite a long time now—many hon. Members probably think that I have been here far too long. But on numerous occasions hon. Members have raised issues on the Floor of the House because they have felt that the rules of procedure had not been properly carried out in Committee. This has happened on many occasions. Therefore, there seems to me to be a difference between your ruling, Mr. Speaker, and those of previous Speakers on this subject. I should like very much to clarify the position.

Mr. Speaker

There is not a difference in the ruling. There is a difference in the hon. Gentleman's memory. It is quite clear that until a Committee reports to the House it is not possible to discuss on the Floor of the House what is going on there. The other point is that it is quite clear that there is no appeal to the Speaker of the House about rulings made in a Standing Committee. The Chairman is responsible there.

Mrs. Renée Short

Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. In view of what you have said, can you tell us how the minority on any Committee in the House can claim the protection of the Chairman of the Committee?

Mr. Speaker

The hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Short) might as well have asked me how minorities have a chance here. Whoever is in the Chair does his best. That is all that I can say.