§
Motion made, and Question put forthwith pursuant to Standing Order No. 73A(5):—
That the draft Insurance (Transfer of General Business) Regulations 1980, which were laid before this House on 2 June, be approved. —[Mr. Newton.]
§ The House divided: Ayes 29, Noes 2.
2045| Division No. 389] | AYES | [2.47 pm |
| Bell, Sir Ronald | Hooson, Tom | Squire, Robin |
| Best, Keith | Hurd, Hon Douglas | Stanbrook, Ivor |
| Bottomley, Peter (Woolwich West) | Jopling, Rt Hon Michael | Stradling Thomas, J. |
| Brotherton, Michael | Kimball, Marcus | Thorne, Neil (Ilford South) |
| Carlisle, John (Luton West) | Langford-Holt, Sir John | van Straubenzee, W. R. |
| Carlisle, Rt Hon Mark (Runcorn) | Mackay, John (Argyll) | Ward, John |
| Cormack, Patrick | Morrison, Hon Peter (City of Chester) | Wheeler, John |
| Costain, A. P. | Patten, John (Oxford) | |
| Dover, Denshore | Shaw, Michael (Scarborough) | TELLERS FOR THE AYES: |
| Farr, John | Shepherd, Richard (Aldridge-Br'hills) | Mr. Anthony Berry and Mr. Tony Newton. |
| Fisher, Sir Nigel | Skeet, T. H. H. | |
| Greenway, Harry | ||
| NOES | ||
| Kilfedder, James A. | ||
| Ross, Stephen (Isle of Wight) | ||
| TELLERS FOR THE NOES: | ||
| Mr. A. J. Beith and. | ||
| Mr. Donald Stewart. |
§ It appearing from the report of the Division that forty Members were not present, Mr. Deputy Speaker declared that the Question was not decided and the business under consideration stood over until the next Sitting of the House.
§ Mr. Michael English (Nottingham, West)On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. This is the second Friday in succession that the Government have not had a quorum in the House. They should do so. I except the Government Members present, including the Government Chief Whip, who has been present on both occasions, although his deputy has not—
§ Mr. Deputy SpeakerOrder. None of these matters is for me.
§ Mr. EnglishFurther to that point of order—
§ Mr. Deputy SpeakerIt is not a point of order. I am prepared to hear the hon. Member on another point of order, but not on that matter because it is not a point of order.
§ Mr. EnglishOn another point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I ask you to raise with Mr. Speaker the fact that the Government are putting Government business on the Order Paper on Friday and then abandoning it.
§ Mr. Deputy SpeakerThat is not a point of order.
Mr. Harry Greenaway (Ealing, North)On a separate point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. It concerns the procedure for the handling of Private Members' Bills. At times this afternoon I found it difficult to hear hon. Members' objections. On occasion it was impossible to know whether one had even been made.
I had a very important Bill before the House entitled the Disposal of Dead Bodies Bill. I heard no objection. When I discovered that an objection had been registered, I wondered whether it had come from the dead. However, the objection was registered and the Bill fell, although it is not dead.
2046 In future, might consideration be given to requiring an hon. Member raising an objection to a Bill to stand in his place and say so in a loud, clear voice?
§ Mr. Deputy SpeakerThat is a matter which will be noted.
§ Mr. EnglishFurther to that point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. May I ask you to send for the Leader of the House, who has not been present on any Friday for any of these Divisions?
§ Mr. Deputy SpeakerI regret to say that that is not a point of order for me.
I understand that the second statutory instrument is not moved.