§ Motion made
§ House is not here to move it. I suppose that it is because it is 1.25 am, but he is the one person in the House who decides what time his own business comes on, so he might at least have had the grace to be here.
243§ However, you will realise, Mr. Deputy Speaker, that the apparent intention of this motion is to place in Standing Orders the decision of the House on 31 October. That is to be found on page 381 of the Votes and Proceedings. It is Item No. 28 there, where procedure motion No. 4 says that the House agrees to paragraph 9.27 of the report of the Select Committee on Procedure of Session 1977–78.
§
That is very simple and very short. That paragraph says:
For these reasons we have concluded that a radical reorganisation of hours of sitting should not be recommended. We accept, however, the argument that an earlier time of rising on Fridays would be of benefit to Members who have to travel long distances to their constituencies. We therefore recommend that on Fridays the House should sit at 9.30 am, that business should be interrupted at 2.30 pm, and that the normal time of rising should therefore be soon after 3 pm, instead of 4.30 pm.
§ The portion of this motion that relates to lines 2, 10 and 18 in Standing Order No. 5 implements that resolution to perfection. I am well aware that the Leader of the House, in that debate, mentioned as an aside that he would prefer it if statements were made at 11 o'clock instead of 9.30 or instead of at the end of proceedings. I suppose that Ministers cannot get to the House before that time, even if Back Benchers can do so. [HON. MEMBERS: "He is never here on Fridays."] As Conservative Members say, it may be that he is not here on Fridays. If that is so, it may be the reason and the explanation.
§ However, the point is that ministerial statements are not decisions of the House. The decision of the House was to agree paragraph 9.27 of the report of the Select Committee on Procedure. That is perfectly well implemented by the first four lines of the motion. Therefore, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I must object to the fifth and subsequent lines—
§ Mr. Deputy Speaker (Mr. Richard Crawshaw)Objection taken.