Points of Order (Hansard, 13 November 1991)

§ Mr. John McFall (Dumbarton)
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I rise as a result of the intervention by the hon. Member for Cannock and Burntwood (Mr. Howarth). I was here from half-past two. The hon. Gentleman came in just five minutes ago. I stood up for six questions, not least for question No. 3, in which I have a constituency interest. In the light of the by-election result in Scotland and the fact that we have an opportunity only once a month to put our constituency interests, I appeal to you not to hear frivolous comments from Conservative Members but only real issues that concern Scottish Members of Parliament.

Several Hon. Members
rose——

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. I do not need any help. This is a United Kingdom Parliament. The hon. Member for Cannock and Burntwood (Mr. Howarth) has as much right as anyone else to ask a question on a matter of general interest to the whole House of Commons. I am aware that it is not possible for me to call every Scottish Member at Scottish Question Time, but I thought that it was fair today—I hope that the House will agree—to get as far down the Order Paper as I possibily could.

Several Hon. Members
rose——

§ Mr. Speaker
We managed to get down to question No. 19, and the hon. Member for Dundee, East (Mr. McAllion) had already asked a question. That was not bad.

§ Mr. Tony Marlow (Northampton, North)
Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. Would it be appropriate to remind the hon. Member for Dumbarton (Mr. McFall) that this is the United Kingdom Parliament? If he wants home rule for Scotland, he can have it, and then we will have home rule for England as well.

§ Mr. Speaker
I have just said that this is a United Kingdom Parliament.

§ Sir David Steel (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale)
Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. Is not the difficulty in which you are placed the fact that there are now only four Government Back-Bench Members representing Scotland, and 63 of different parties on the Opposition side of the House? Frankly, Mr. Speaker, if you are obliged to continue to apply the archaic rule in total contradiction of the balance of the parties in Scotland, this place will look increasingly irrelevant to the people of Scotland.

Several Hon. Members
Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker.

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. Let me deal with one point at a time, please. I must keep a balance in this House. Hon. Members from Scottish constituencies have as much right as an hon. Member from an English constituency to raise a question on defence or any other matter—[Interruption.] And they do. Equally, the whole House will have seen for itself how far we have moved down the Order Paper today and that I have called a number of English Members on hospital trust matters.

§ Mr. Donald Dewar (Glasgow, Garscadden)
Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. I think that there is a general recognition on the Opposition side of the House that you have a difficult job at Scottish Question Time. I recognise that it is difficult to balance interests. That difficult situation is made infinitely worse and more galling to colleagues who have been rising repeatedly, question after question, without success, when a Conservative Member swans in, three quarters of the way through Scottish Question Time, and is instantly called.

§ Mr. Speaker
The hon. Member for Cannock and Burntwood (Mr. Howarth) was not instantly called.

Several Hon. Members
rose——

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. Perhaps those hon. Members who have raised points of order have done a service to the hon. Members who wish to take part in the ballot. If I take one more, two more Members can sign the book.

§ Mr. Thomas Graham (Renfrew, West and Inverclyde)
As a Back Bencher, I need the opportunity of raising questions at Scottish Question Time. It is lamentable that the Government have not set up a Select Committee on Scottish Affairs, which could help us to deal with Scottish matters.

§ Mr. Speaker
That is as may be.

Several Hon. Members
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.

§ Mr. Speaker
I had better take one from a Conservative Member now. I call a Member from Cornwall. [Laughter.]

§ Mr. David Harris (St. Ives)
Is not the root cause of your difficulties about the complaint that has been raised, Mr. Speaker, Scotland's gross over-representation in this House on matters relating to other parts of the United Kingdom?

§ Mr. Speaker
I cannot be involved with constitutional matters of that kind.

Several Hon. Members
rose——

§ Mr. Ian Bruce (South Dorset)
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.

§ Mr. Speaker
No, I think that I had better take one from the Scottish National party.

§ Mr. Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan)
This, of course, is the United Kingdom Parliament—many of us think that that is exactly the problem. However, as you have some discretion in these matters, Mr. Speaker, and while we wait for the Scottish electorate to remove the remainder of the Scottish Conservative party from this House, would it not be appropriate for you to give priority to Scottish Members at Scottish Question Time?

§ Mr. Speaker
If the hon. Gentleman looks at Hansard tomorrow, he will see that I have done exactly that.

Several Hon. Members
rose——

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. We should now move on, because everybody——

§ Mr. Ian Bruce
rose——

§ Mr. Bill Walker (Tayside, North)
rose——

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. We have a very heavy day ahead of us. I shall have to put a 10-minute limit on speeches, and the hon. Member for Tayside, North (Mr. Walker) might be affected by that.

§ Mr. Walker
Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker.

§ Mr. Speaker
Very well: I shall trade the hon. Gentleman a point of order for a speech.

§ Mr. Walker
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am raising a point of order because my understanding is that this is the United Kingdom Parliament, which has representatives from all over the United Kingdom. The cornerstone of our democratic system is hon. Members' right to ask questions and to have those questions answered. Can you confirm, Sir, that you keep a record of the questions that have been asked and that, although the Scots comprise less than 9 per cent. of the United Kingdom population, their representatives regularly ask more than 9 per cent. of the questions that are raised in the House?

§ Mr. Speaker
I must now bring this matter to a conclusion. I do indeed keep a list of questions, but I advise hon. Members representing Scottish constituencies that the next time we have Scottish Questions those hon. Members who have been called today will not stand quite such a good chance of being included next time.