§ Mr. Stuart Bell (Middlesbrough)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. During the last Session of Parliament you were kind enough to rule that questions to the Prime Minister should be directed towards her responsibilities. Today there have been two questions to the Prime Minister on matters outside her responsibilities. Would it be in order for you to repeat your edict?
§ Mr. SpeakerI shall gladly do so. Supplementary questions should always be related to the question on the Order Paper. There are 115 questions on the Order Paper today — the highest number ever — asking the Prime Minister to list her engagements. Some of the supplementary questions today were addressed to me rather than to the Prime Minister's engagements.
§ Mr. Rob Hayward (Kingswood)Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. It has been your stated intention since I have been a Member of Parliament to protect Back Benchers, especially during Prime Minister's Question Time. Are you aware that when my right hon. Friend was first elected as Leader of the Opposition she took 15 weeks to use 1,000 words to ask questions of the then Prime Minister? The current Leader of the Opposition has taken not 15 weeks, not 10 weeks, not eight weeks, but four weeks to use 1,000 words in questioning my right hon. Friend. Were it not for that verbosity factor of 375 per cent., two more Back Benchers could ask questions during each Prime Minister's Question Time.
§ Mr. SpeakerI am afraid that I have not carried out such detailed research. A dispensation has always been given to Front Bench spokesmen. I do my utmost to ensure that Back Benchers have an equal share of the time. When we begin a new Session, I start with a clean sheet for Prime Minister's questions. I hope that everyone will have his opportunity.
§ Mr. Douglas Hogg (Grantham)Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. Are you aware that during defence questions the right hon. Member for Llanelli (Mr. Davies) rose on no fewer than four occasions and spoke at great length? Would it not be a good idea to suggest that the right hon. Gentleman does not model himself on the verbosity of his leader?
§ Mr. SpeakerI think that it was five times. The choice rests entirely with the right hon. Member for Llanelli (Mr. Davies), but I must remind the occupants of both Front Benches that every time a Front Bench spokesman rises a Back Bencher will fail to catch my eye.