HC Deb 28 April 1986 vol 96 cc657-8
28. Mr. Dubs

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will move to refer to the Select Committee on Procedure the present arrangements for private notice questions; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Biffen

The arrangements for private notice questions are already within the general terms of reference of the Procedure Committee.

Mr. Dubs

Does the Leader of the House agree that the House gives Mr. Speaker far too little guidance as regards which questions should be selected for private notice and which questions should be rejected? It is therefore our fault that Mr. Speaker is often subject to a great deal of controversy when he refuses a private notice question, as in the case of the question concerning Libya on 14 April. Would it not be better if, in the interests of this House and of Mr. Speaker, the Procedure Committee reconsidered the limited guidance we now give and considered whether it could be more extensive and helpful to Mr. Speaker?

Mr. Biffen

No, I do not think that I could agree with that proposition. One of the advantages of the present private notice procedure is, first, that it is private and not subject to contention on the Floor of the House, and, secondly, that Mr. Speaker does have a great deal of discretion.

Mr. Winnick

Will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that private notice question applications are an extremely important facility for hon. Members and that they should not in any way be undermined? Will the right hon. Gentleman also bear in mind that if the Government were more forthcoming in making statements on important items of business, there would be less need for us to put in applications for private notice questions?

Mr. Biffen

I agree entirely with the hon. Gentleman about the importance of private notice questions to hon. Members. I do not think that any analysis of the practice over the lifetime of this Government would suggest that we have made fewer statements than our predecessors.

Mr. Ryman

I support the submission of my hon. Friend the Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick). I am always putting down private notice questions, and they are invariably refused.

Mr. Faulds

Mr. Speaker is a good judge.

Mr. Ryman

Is the Leader of the House aware that I put down a question on the prison officers' dispute—

Mr. Speaker

Order. Please do not say that.

Mr. Ryman

There is a need for the Government to volunteer statements to the House from the Treasury Bench before being pressed to do so by question, private or otherwise.

Mr. Biffen

In respect of private notice questions, I thought it was considered bad form to advertise one's failures. The hon. Gentleman raised the need for more Government statements. I assure him that if that were undertaken, it would not be long before hon. Members, quite properly, would complain that more and more prime time was being taken by Government statements.

Mr. Shore

The Leader of the House may or may not be right in his general expression of satisfaction with the present handling of applications for private notice questions. We also heard what he said about it within the Procedure Committee's terms of reference. Can he tell us when the Procedure Committee last considered this quite important matter?

Mr. Biffen

Not without notice.