§
Motion made and Question proposed,
That the Votes and Proceedings of this House be printed, being first perused by Mr. Speaker; and that he do appoint the printing thereof; and that no person but such as he shall appoint do presume to print the same.
§ Mr. Alan Beith (Berwick-upon-Tweed)This is a sweeping order, Mr. Speaker, in that it places upon you 3 the daily requirement to peruse the Votes and Proceedings and forbids anyone else from printing the Votes and Proceedings of the House. I am bound to question whether this arrangement meets the convenience of the House, as it is at least possible that, if someone else were given the opportunity to print the Votes and Proceedings, he might be able so to set them out and so to interpret them, with interpretative comment between the various Votes and Proceedings, as to make a little clearer precisely what happens in the Chamber. For example, when an Opposition Day is taken for debate, instead of the Votes and Proceedings baldly stating who moved the motion and the votes cast, it might be made a little clearer that this was one of 19 days, sixteen and a half of which were taken by the Leader of the Labour party, and only one of which went to the parties which got almost as much support at the general election as did the Labour party. But the story does not end there——
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I told the hon. Member for Woolwich (Mr. Cartwright) that this order is concerned with printing and is not a matter of substance. Therefore, I do not think that we can have a long story.
§ Mr. BeithMy story is not long and can be told simply and briefly. However, it must be told clearly. The Votes and Proceedings for Tuesday 30 October illustrate that the manner in which the proceedings are currently printed and set out gives a misleading impression of what transpired. Those Votes and Proceedings clearly state:
A Motion was made, and the Question being put, That this House do now adjourn".That motion appeared in the name of a member of the Government, but it should be borne in mind that the Votes and Proceedings are printed without any of the content of debate annexed to them. During that debate, the Chancellor of the Exchequer said that he was grateful to the Leader of the Opposition for choosing the subject for that day. Therefore, the Votes and Proceedings did not make clear that there was a 20th Opposition day, although it took place on a motion moved in the name of the Government.The Leader of the House could resolve this problem, Mr. Speaker, and make your task of perusing these Votes and Proceedings day by day a great deal easier if he came forward with new arrangements which fitted more exactly with our proceedings and traditions and fairly represented the elements in the House. If he fails to do so, we are bound to express our deep disapproval, which we know is shared widely outside the House, in this and other ways.
§ Question put:—
§ The House divided: Ayes 217, Noes 17.
5| Division No. 1] | [2.37 pm |
| AYES | |
| Adley, Robert | Bermingham, Gerald |
| Alexander, Richard | Biffen, Rt Hon John |
| Alison, Rt Hon Michael | Blaker, Rt Hon Sir Peter |
| Amess, David | Boscawen, Hon Robert |
| Ancram, Michael | Braine, Sir Bernard |
| Arnold, Tom | Brandon-Bravo, Martin |
| Atkins, Robert (South Ribble) | Brinton, Tim |
| Atkinson, David (B'm'th E) | Brittan, Rt Hon Leon |
| Baker, Nicholas (N Dorset) | Brown, M. (Brigg & Cl'thpes) |
| Banks, Robert (Harrogate) | Browne, John |
| Beaumont-Dark, Anthony | Bruinvels, Peter |
| Benyon, William | Bryan, Sir Paul |
| Budgen, Nick | Kellett-Bowman, Mrs Elaine |
| Burt, Alistair | Key, Robert |
| Butterfill, John | Kilfedder, James A. |
| Carlisle, John (N Luton) | King, Roger (B'ham N'field) |
| Carlisle, Kenneth (Lincoln) | King, Rt Hon Tom |
| Cash, William | Knight, Gregory (Derby N) |
| Chapman, Sydney | Knox, David |
| Clark, Dr Michael (Rochford) | Lang, Ian |
| Clarke, Rt Hon K. (Rushcliffe) | Latham, Michael |
| Cocks, Rt Hon M. (Bristol S.) | Lawson, Rt Hon Nigel |
| Colvin, Michael | Lee, John (Pendle) |
| Conway, Derek | Leigh, Edward (Gainsbor'gh) |
| Coombs, Simon | Lennox-Boyd, Hon Mark |
| Cope, John | Lester, Jim |
| Cormack, Patrick | Lewis, Sir Kenneth (Stamf'd) |
| Cranborne, Viscount | Lewis, Ron (Carlisle) |
| Crouch, David | Lightbown, David |
| Currie, Mrs Edwina | Lilley, Peter |
| Dorrell, Stephen | Lloyd, Peter, (Fareham) |
| Douglas-Hamilton, Lord J. | Lord, Michael |
| du Cann, Rt Hon Edward | McCrindle, Robert |
| Dunn, Robert | McCurley, Mrs Anna |
| Durant, Tony | McCusker, Harold |
| Dykes, Hugh | MacGregor, John |
| Edwards, Rt Hon N. (P'broke) | MacKay, Andrew (Berkshire) |
| Eggar, Tim | MacKay, John (Argyll & Bute) |
| Evennett, David | Maclean, David John |
| Eyre, Sir Reginald | McNair-Wilson, M. (N'bury) |
| Favell, Anthony | McNair-Wilson, P. (New F'st) |
| Fenner, Mrs Peggy | Major, John |
| Finsberg, Sir Geoffrey | Marlow, Antony |
| Forsythe, Clifford (S Antrim) | Mates, Michael |
| Forth, Eric | Mather, Carol |
| Fowler, Rt Hon Norman | Mawhinney, Dr Brian |
| Franks, Cecil | Maxwell-Hyslop, Robin |
| Freeman, Roger | Mayhew, Sir Patrick |
| Gale, Roger | Mellor, David |
| Galley, Roy | Meyer, Sir Anthony |
| Gardiner, George (Reigate) | Mills, Sir Peter (West Devon) |
| Gardner, Sir Edward (Fylde) | Molyneaux, Rt Hon James |
| Glyn, Dr Alan | Montgomery, Fergus |
| Goodlad, Alastair | Moynihan, Hon C. |
| Grant, Sir Anthony | Murphy, Christopher |
| Greenway, Harry | Needham, Richard |
| Griffiths, E. (B'y St Edm'ds) | Neubert, Michael |
| Grist, Ian | Nicholls, Patrick |
| Grylls, Michael | O'Brien, William |
| Hamilton, Hon A. (Epsom) | Onslow, Cranley |
| Hamilton, Neil (Tatton) | Ottaway, Richard |
| Hanley, Jeremy | Page, Sir John (Harrow W) |
| Hannam,John | Page, Richard (Herts SW) |
| Hargreaves, Kenneth | Parkinson, Rt Hon Cecil |
| Harris, David | Patten, John (Oxford) |
| Harrison, Rt Hon Walter | Pawsey, James |
| Haselhurst, Alan | Powell, Rt Hon J. E. (S Down) |
| Hawkins, Sir Paul (SW N'folk) | Powell, William (Corby) |
| Hawksley, Warren | Powley, John |
| Hayhoe, Barney | Prior, Rt Hon James |
| Hayward, Robert | Proctor, K. Harvey |
| Heath, Rt Hon Edward | Pym, Rt Hon Francis |
| Heathcoat-Amory, David | Raffan, Keith |
| Heddle, John | Rees, Rt Hon Peter (Dover) |
| Henderson, Barry | Rhys Williams, Sir Brandon |
| Higgins, Rt Hon Terence L. | Ridsdale, Sir Julian |
| Hind, Kenneth | Rippon, Rt Hon Geoffrey |
| Hogg, Hon Douglas (Gr'th'm) | Robinson, Mark (N'port W) |
| Holland, Sir Philip (Gedling) | Rossi, Sir Hugh |
| Hordern, Peter | Rumbold, Mrs Angela |
| Howard, Michael | Ryder, Richard |
| Howarth, Gerald (Cannock) | Sayeed, Jonathan |
| Howe, Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey | Shaw, Sir Michael (Scarb') |
| Howell, Rt Hon D. (G'ldford) | Shepherd, Colin (Hereford) |
| Howell, Ralph (N Norfolk) | Shersby, Michael |
| Hunt, David (Wirral) | Shore, Rt Hon Peter |
| Hunt, John (Ravensbourne) | Silvester, Fred |
| Hunter, Andrew | Sims, Roger |
| Hurd, Rt Hon Douglas | Skinner, Dennis |
| Jessel, Toby | Smith, Tim (Beaconsfield) |
| Johnson Smith, Sir Geoffrey | Smyth, Rev W. M. (Belfast S) |
| Jopling, Rt Hon Michael | Soames, Hon Nicholas |
| Spicer, Jim (W Dorset) | Ward, John |
| Stanbrook, Ivor | Wardle, C. (Bexhill) |
| Stevens, Martin (Fulham) | Watson, John |
| Stewart, Andrew (Sherwood) | Watts, John |
| Stokes, John | Wheeler, John |
| Tapsell, Peter | Whitfield, John |
| Temple-Morris, Peter | Whitney, Raymond |
| Thatcher, Rt Hon Mrs M. | Wiggin, Jerry |
| Thompson, Donald (Calder V) | Winterton, Mrs Ann |
| Thurnham, Peter | Wolfson, Mark |
| Townend, John (Bridlington) | Wood, Timothy |
| Tracey, Richard | Woodcock, Michael |
| Twinn, Dr Ian | Yeo, Tim |
| Vaughan, Sir Gerard | Young, Sir George (Acton) |
| Viggers, Peter | |
| Waldegrave, Hon William | Tellers for the Ayes: |
| Walker, Bill (T'side N) | Mr. Tim Sainsbury and |
| Waller, Gary | Mr. Tristan Garel-Jones. |
| Walters, Dennis |
| NOES | |
| Alton, David | Steel, Rt Hon David |
| Ashdown, Paddy | Stewart, Rt Hon D. (W Isles) |
| Beith, A. J. | Thomas, Dafydd (Merioneth) |
| Bruce, Malcolm | Wainwright, R. |
| Carlile, Alexander (Montg'y) | Wallace, James |
| Hancock, Mr. Michael | Wrigglesworth, Ian |
| Howells, Geraint | |
| Hughes, Simon (Southwark) | Tellers for the Noes: |
| Kennedy, Charles | Mr. Michael Meadowcroft and |
| Owen, Rt Hon Dr David | Mr. John Cartwright. |
| Smith, Cyril (Rochdale) |
§ Question accordingly agreed to.
§
Ordered,
That the Votes and Proceedings of this House be printed, being first perused by Mr. Speaker; and that he do appoint the printing thereof; and that no person but such as he shall appoint do presume to print the same.