§
Motion made,
That this House doth agree with the Select Committee on House of Commons (Services) in their Fifth Report, on Computer-based Indexing for the Library.—[Mr. Snape.]
§ Mr. James Dempsey (Coatbridge and Airdrie)On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. May I ask for your guidance? I understand and sympathise with the reasons for objection being taken to the motion, but this substantial project for the Library will take some time to introduce and will involve a lot of planning and preparation. I am sure that most of us thought that the most suitable time to do it was during the recess. If hon. Members continue to object, that will not be possible. Is there any way, through you, Mr. Deputy Speaker—
§ Mr. Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bryant Godman Irvine)Order. It is not apparent that the hon. Gentleman is raising a matter for me.
§ Mr. Nigel Spearing (Newham, South)Further to the point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I seek your guidance. I objected to this business yesterday and today. I understand that the Fifth Report—I do not object to it, but I object to its being taken "on the nod"—has been avail. able to the House for three or four weeks. It was put on the Order Paper last night, I understand, but, unfortunately, the business motion did not make it exempted business, although a large number of other items, some of them short, were exempted. The same has happened today.
I understand that representations were made through the usual channels—and unusual channels—that the business should be exempted, but it is not exempted. Is there anything in the rules of the House to exempt it so that it might be discussed for 10 or 15 minutes, which 862 I think is all that the House would need to spend on it?
§ Mr. Deputy SpeakerNothing in what the hon. Gentleman said is a matter for the Chair.