§ Mr. SpeakerFollowing my undertaking at the end of business questions on 14th December, I wish to give a ruling regarding the effect of the proceedings in the House on Thursday 7th December 1978.
Hon. Members will recall that the principal business for that day appeared on the Order Paper under the heading "Supply [3rd Allotted Day] and consisted of a number of notices of motion relating to the Estimates, followed by a notice of motion, in the name of the Prime Minister, "That this House do 1332 now adjourn." In the event, the Prime Minister's Adjournment motion was never moved, and the House proceeded with other business on the Paper.
Under Standing Order No. 18(2)(b), it is provided that, on an allotted Supply Day,
business other than the business of supply may be taken before ten o'clock, only if the business of supply has first been disposed of ".As I have explained, this did not happen on 7th December. The business of Supply set down for that day was not wholly disposed of before 10 o'clock, and other business was taken before that hour ; thus, the provisions of the Standing Order with regard to the content of an Allotted Day were not complied with. That is why, with my authority, the Supply proceedings were recorded in the Votes and Proceedings for that day, at item 15, not as they would otherwise have been, under the title "Supply [3rd Allotted Day]," but merely under the title" Supply ".All this is in no way unprecedented. Indeed, it is stated in terms on page 729 of the current edition of "Erskine May" that, on an Allotted Day,
if other business is taken…before supply has been disposed of, the day cannot be reckoned as an allotted day—it is said to be 'spoilt '.I rule, therefore, that the proceedings on the business of Supply on Thursday 7th December did not constitute an Allotted Day. Accordingly, the first Order on the Paper today is not, as shown, the fourth allotted Supply Day but the third, and will be so read by the Clerk.