HC Deb 09 November 1992 vol 213 cc619-20
35. Mr. Harry Greenway

To ask the Lord President of the Council if he has any plans to introduce proposals to terminate House of Commons business not later than 10 pm on each sitting day; and if he will make a statement.

The Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Tony Newton)

I imagine that my hon. Friend has in mind one of the proposals in the report of the Select Committee on Sittings of the House. As I told my right hon. Friend the Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Mr. Jopling), who chaired the Committee, at last Thursday's business questions, I hope to identify a basis of agreement for discussion through the usual channels, with the aim of being in a position to bring forward substantive motions at an early stage.

Mr. Greenway

Does my right hon. Friend agree that of all the proposals in the report by the Committee chaired by my right hon. Friend the Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale, the proposal on sittings is perhaps one of the most important? Does he agree, from his long years in the House, that the House tends to diminish rather than increase in efficiency as the hour passes 10 pm and the sitting goes on into the small hours? That cannot be good for the nation or for anybody else.

Mr. Newton

I am not sure that I can assent to a proposition about the diminishing efficiency of the House at particular times of the day, although I am aware of the widespread public sharing of my hon. Friend's view. It is worth noting, as a matter of practice, that since the House resumed on 19 October there have been only two occasions on which the House has not adjourned before 11.5 pm, which is a significant improvement on some previous experiences. On Thursday evenings, which I know are one of the points of concern to many hon. Members, the House has adjourned at 10.30 pm—standard time—on each occasion so far.

Mr. Maxton

Does the Leader of the House agree that the best way to ensure that the House rises by 10 pm on most evenings would be to reduce the business carried out in the House? Does he agree that the quickest and easiest way to do that would be to establish legislative assemblies in Scotland and in Wales to take on the business presently carried out in the House for those nations?

Mr. Newton

The first part of the hon. Gentleman's question is in one sense unanswerable. It must be emphasised that our constituents not only express the wish that we should sit reasonable hours, but want to see a reasonable amount of business carried through the House. It is always a question of striking the right balance. I am afraid that I cannot agree—I see from the pleased expression on the hon. Gentleman's face that he would not expect me to agree—to the second part of this proposition as to how we might seek to achieve that.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

Does my right hon. Friend accept that although many of us would like the House normally to stop at 10 pm, there are certain matters on which there is wide bipartisan agreement? If it is necessary for a Committee of the Whole House to sit beyond 10 pm on certain matters for which most of our people—Labour and Tory—worked at the previous election, would that not be acceptable?

Mr. Newton

My hon. Friend, with that characteristically mischievous expression on his face, is tempting me to make some very inflammatory remarks. I do not intend to be drawn on to that ground.