§ Mr. William Hague (Richmond, Yorks)On a point of order, Madam Speaker. Adjournment debates are within your gift, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to speak on the Adjournment later today, but I and many other hon. Members are concerned that the Adjournment debate of last night never took place.
Accordingly, Madam Speaker, I seek your guidance on two matters. First, will you confirm that the schedule of Adjournment debates for today and next week remains the same, even though last night's Adjournment debate never took place? Secondly, if, as is strongly rumoured, last night's problem was due to abject incompetence on the part of the Opposition Whips' Office, will you suggest to the official Opposition that any new debate on the subject that was to be discussed last night should take place in Opposition time?
§ Mr. Don Dixon (Jarrow)Further to that point of order, Madam Speaker. I think that the hon. Member for Richmond, Yorks (Mr. Hague) has the matter wrong. I know that he is the Parliamentary Private Secretary to a senior Minister, but it is obvious that he does not know the procedures of the House. I understand, Madam Speaker, that Thursday night Adjournment debates are within your gift and that other such debates are determined by ballot. If anyone spiked my hon. Friend the Member for Dunfermline, West (Ms. Squire) to prevent her from initiating the Adjournment debate last night, it was the Tory Whip, who immediately jumped to his feet to move the Adjournment.
§ Mr. Terry Dicks (Hayes and Harlington)Further to that point of order, Madam Speaker. As a simple man and a PPS, I seek your guidance. Is it the constitutional position that the Labour party, after two days of debate on the autumn statement and several instances of Prime Minister's questions is now in favour of all the contents of the statement?
§ Madam SpeakerOrder. I can resolve the matter. As the hon. Member for Jarrow (Mr. Dixon) said, Thursday night Adjournment debates are within the gift of the Speaker. They do not affect Friday motions because those are dealt with by the ballot procedure.
Perhaps we might move on to the first motion.