§ 62. Mr. AllenTo ask the Lord President of the Council what representations he has received regarding the Procedure Committee's outstanding proposals.
§ Sir Geoffrey HoweApart from exchanges following the business statement on 27 July and informal meetings with the Chairman of the Select Committee on Procedure, I have received no specific representations on the Committee's outstanding proposals.
§ Mr. AllenWill the Leader of the House take this first opportunity to condemn the outrage of Prime Minister's Question Time now taking place in Kuala Lumpur with real Prime Ministers? Does he accept that he has some distinguished predecessors, for example Norman St. John-Stevas, now in another place, who introduced departmental Select Committees and his other predecessor who introduced televising of the House of Commons? When it comes to the right hon. and learned Gentleman's time to move on to another job, what would he wish to be remembered for?
§ Sir Geoffrey HoweI shall be discharging my duties as Leader of the House as effectively as I can.
§ Mr. LathamWill my right hon. and learned Friend ask the Procedure Committee to look at the motions on procedure which the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen) lists on the Order Paper day after day? If we must continue to waste money printing those motions every day, perhaps we could debate them.
§ Sir Geoffrey HoweI find that a great deal of our time is taken up by trying to keep abreast of the hon. Gentleman's motions on that subject.
§ Mr. SkinnerDoes the Leader of the House agree that he and the Government administrators will have more than a little difficulty if, in the next Session, an embryo research Bill is introduced and amendments relating to abortion are tabled? Does he have it in mind that the Government will use a guillotine to stop the debate?
§ Sir Geoffrey HoweThe Bill that the hon. Gentleman envisages will possibly come before the House will be handled by Parliament in accordance with the full range of procedures available to both Houses.