§ 30. Mr. Silvesterasked the Lord President of the Council if he will propose to the House a resolution to allow Members to ask two Oral Questions per sitting day.
§ Mr. FootThe consideration of such a change would be a matter for the Select Committee on Procedure. But I doubt whether this proposed reversion to previous practice would be generally welcome.
§ Mr. SilvesterWill the Leader of the House accept my apologies in that the Question does not quite say what I intended it to say, which was that two Questions could be asked provided that not more than one was to the same Minister? Will he recognise that the reason for this proposal is that, apparently, the Table Office has to maintain over a fortnight a long and complex administrative arrangement whereas, if it was obliged to check the matter out each day, it would simply need to keep a record for a single day, which would be a useful change?
§ Mr. FootI shall look at that, although here again I think that it would be a matter for the Procedure Committee to consider before any change in the present practice was contemplated.
§ Mr. WardSo that hon. Members may judge the effect of this proposal on public expenditure, can my right hon. Friend say what is the cost of answering an Oral Question as distinct from the Written Questions on which he replied earlier?
§ Mr. FootI shall give my hon. Friend a reply on that if he will put down a Question, though I must add that working out the figures for Oral Questions involves some cost as well.