§ 3.30 pm
§ Mr. Dafydd Wigley (Caernarfon)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. My point of order concerns Welsh Question Time, and the linking of six questions on the coal industry—that is 4, 7, 10, 11, 15 and 19. Although these were taken together, only three supplementary questions were taken, and therefore the debate on the coal industry was severely curtailed and it was impossible to hear all the opinions of the House. When the Secretary of State, or any other Minister, says at the beginning of answering a question that "with permission" he will group questions together, whose permission is he seeking, as the hon. Member for Ogmore (Mr. Powell) refused to give that permission?
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. It is a courtesy to the House when a Minister says "with permission". It is entirely up to the Minister how questions are grouped. I think that the hon. Member will readily understand that if I called everyone who wished to speak on every question we would get through very few questions. I am concerned to ensure that as many hon. Members as possible have their questions reached.