§ Mr. SpeakerI have a brief statement to make. Yesterday, when the right hon. Member for Huyton (Sir H. Wilson) gave way to the hon. Member for Tiverton (Mr. Maxwell-Hyslop), I indicated to the House that a Member giving way had a right to decide when he should resume his speech, and that when he rose to do so the Member intervening must discontinue his intervention. Since then, I have looked at the precedents on such matters and come to the conclusion that that is not the case. Any hon. Member who is speaking has the undoubted right to decide for himself whether he chooses to give way to an intervention. However, once he has given way the Member intervening has the Floor and the right to speak.
Of course, if interventions continue for too long the occupant of the Chair has a duty to check them. Both my predecessors and I have frequently done so, with the support of the House. But that was not the case yesterday. The hon. Member for Tiverton was, therefore, entirely justified in his point of order, and I am sorry that the misunderstanding occurred.