§ Mr. Tam Dalyell (West Lothian)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, which I do not believe is trivial.
I apologise to any Northern Ireland Members, who may be avid devolutionists, for holding them back. May I put this to you, Mr. Speaker? Under Standing Order No. 8 you are entitled not to call another Prime Minister's question but to let Prime Minister's questions run on. May I put it to you also that it used to be the case in the 1960s that Prime Ministers would select substantial questions on which they wished to make a statement and take them at the end of Question Time? For some reason that practice has been discontinued.
In the case of the Falkland Islands, would it not be right for the Prime Minister, who understandably wants to make a substantial statement, to do so at the end of questions, so that Members would have their only opportunity in the next 10 days, possibly, to scrutinise the Executive's action? I do not think this is purely a mechanical point. It is a question of scrutiny of a momentous national issue. May I ask you to reflect on this, Mr. Speaker, and possibly give a ruling on Tuesday week or when we come back?
§ Mr. SpeakerI am always willing to reflect on a point of order. Normally I am only too anxious to reflect on a point of order, but I do not want to raise false hopes for the hon. Gentleman because many things have changed since the 1960s. In those days Prime Ministers were heard in silence. We know that there have been many changes. I shall, of course, look at the matter that the hon. Gentleman has raised.