§
Ordered,
That, at the sitting on Monday 21st January, the Motions in the name of Sir Marcus Fox, on behalf of the Committee of Selection, relating to Health and to Social Security may be proceeded with, though opposed, for one and a half hours after the first of them has been entered upon; and, if proceedings thereon have not been disposed of at that hour, any Amendments to the first Motion which may have been selected by Mr. Speaker may then be moved, and the Questions thereon shall be put forthwith, and Mr. Speaker shall then put forthwith successively the Question on the said Motion, or Motion as amended, and the Questions necessary to dispose of proceedings on the other Motion, which may then be made, and of any Amendments thereto which may have been selected by him, which may then be moved; and, notwithstanding the practice of the House, each such Motion shall be regarded as a single Motion.—[Mr. Chapman.]
§
Ordered,
That, at the sitting on Tuesday 22nd January, the Motions in the name of Mr. John MacGregor relating to European Standing Committees and to European Community Documents may be proceeded with, though opposed, for one and a half hours after the first of them has been entered upon; and, if proceedings thereon have not been disposed of at that hour, any Amendments to the first Motion which may have
1165
been selected by Mr. Speaker may then be moved, and the Question thereon shall be put forthwith, and Mr. Speaker shall then put forthwith successively the Question on the said Motion, or Motion as amended, and the Questions necessary to dispose of proceedings on the other Motion, which may then be made, and of any Amendments thereto which may have been selected by him, which may then be moved —[Mr. Chapman.]
§
Ordered,
That, at the sitting on Wednesday 23rd January, notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Orders Nos. 14 (Exempted business) and 15 (Prayers against statutory instruments, &c. (negative procedure)), Mr. Speaker shall, three hours after the commencement of proceedings on the first Motion in the name of Mr. Secretary Lang relating to Housing (Scotland), if those proceedings have not been previously disposed of, put the Question already proposed from the Chair; and shall then put forthwith successively the Questions necessary to dispose of proceedings on the other such Motions in the names of Mr. Secretary Lang and Mr. Neil Kinnock, which may then be moved; and proceedings on the said Motions may continue after the expiration of the time for opposed business.—[Mr. Chapman.]
§ Mr. WinnickOn a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. At some stage, may we be given some advice on the procedure at 2.30 pm on a Friday? I had a minute or two —I am not complaining about that as I was 15th in the private Member's ballot—but it is unfortunate that when a Whip, carrying out his duty, shouts "Object" it means, in effect, that I do not have the opportunity to advance a case for my Bill. Surely a procedure could be considered —[Interruption.] I do not know what all this muttering is about. Even if hon. Members disagree with me, the Bill is worthy of debate. Under the procedure that we have had for years, when a Whip shouts "Object" the House is denied the opportunity of discussing the merits of a Bill. That is unfair.
§ Mr. Jacques Arnold (Gravesham)Further to that point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker.
§ Mr. ArnoldYes. Is not it a fact that the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) talked out his Bill?
Mr. Deputy SpeakerThat is the first point. The hon. Gentleman talked out the Bill. We have discussed the 2.30 pm procedure many times in previous Sessions. We are using a well-established procedure. An objection at 2.30 pm does not necessarily mean an objection to the principle of the Bill but an objection to the Bill going through on the nod without debate. As has been said from the Chair on many occasions, if the hon. Gentleman is dissatisfied with the procedure, he can, yet again, ask the Select Committee on Procedure to consider the matter.