Order Paper (Hansard, 20 February 1989)

§ 31. Mr. Allen
To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will take steps to make the Order Paper more user-friendly.

§ Mr. Wakeham
No, Sir. I am not aware of any significant demand for changes in the form of the Order Paper.

§ Mr. Allen
Does the Lord President accept that the Order Paper is our daily agenda? If he looks at today's agenda, he will see that it is almost one inch thick. That must represent a tremendous waste of time and paper every day. Will he ensure that parliamentary questions are listed by Department, and consider any other reforms that hon. Members suggest, rather than destroying a vast amount of Amazonian forest each day?

§ Mr. Wakeham
The Order Paper is designed primarily for the use of right hon. and hon. Members, and I am sure that many of us who have become familiar with its style and format would—contrary to the hon. Gentleman's belief—find the changes that he proposes considerably less convenient. The matter has been considered by the Services Committee; the Order Paper is designed to be of greatest use to the House.
If the hon. Gentleman has suggestions, I advise him to bring them to the attention of the Accommodation and Administration Sub-Committee.