§ Mr. Tony Marlow (Northampton, North)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. No one has ever accused me of being a tailor's dummy or, I hope, any other sort of dummy. The only chance of my appearing in the magazine "Tailor and Cutter" is as an awful warning to someone else. In fact, on one occasion in Committee I was given a severe instruction by my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Drake (Miss Fookes) to improve the standard of my dress and put on my jacket. My dress then was of a much higher standard than some of the bush shirts and jungle kit that we have seen in the House recently.
Was my hon. Friend wrong in giving me that instruction, or have standards of dress in the House of Commons been changed and, if so, on what authority and how? Should standards of dress within the Chamber be lower than in Committee? I ask only for information. I have no particular views—in fact, I should be happy to come in here in swimming trunks if that were in order.
§ Mr. SpeakerI shall deal with one point at a time. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will not do what he has just proposed. He was obviously not here when the matter was raised last week, so I shall say again to him and the House that the Chamber is air conditioned, and I feel that hon. Members should wear jackets and ties. That contributes to the dignity of our proceedings.
§ Later—
§ Sir William Clark (Croydon, South)Further to the point of order made by my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, North (Mr. Marlow). In view of the advice that you, Mr. Speaker, have given in relation to dress and the wearing of jackets and ties, may we take it that if an hon. Member turns up and has not taken your advice he is unlikely to catch your eye?
§ Mr. SpeakerI do not think that I should disclose what goes on in my mind when I call hon. Members to speak in debate.
§ Mr. D. N. Campbell-Savours (Workington)Further to the point of order, Mr. Speaker. You made a statement that worried me. You said that you would not wish to reflect on what goes on in your mind when you decide whether to call hon. Members. Certainly I would not wish to come here sporting a sweater, but I hope that the way in which hon. Members are clad in no way influences you in your decision on whether to call them. We are entitled to an assurance to that effect.
§ Mr. SpeakerI repeat that the Chair has never given reasons for calling hon. Members in a debate. I try to be as fair as I can to hon. Members on all sides of the House.