§ 35. Mr. Harry GreenwayTo ask the Lord President of the Council what plans he has to limit the number of oral and written parliamentary questions an hon. Member may ask; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonI have no plans to recommend any changes to the existing arrangements. If my hon. Friend wishes to make proposals, he might wish in the first instance to express his thoughts to my right hon. Friend the Member for Honiton (Sir Peter Emery), the Chairman of the Procedure Committee.
§ Mr. GreenwayDoes my right hon. Friend agree that Question Time is a uniquely British democratic institution? Will he undertake to safeguard its adversarial nature against any pressures to reduce, terminate or tame it by the Leader of the Opposition or anyone else?
§ Mr. NewtonI certainly have no personal or ministerial plans to reduce, terminate or tame it, although my hon. Friend must be aware that the Procedure Committee, following many observations from various parts of the House, is currently considering the subject of Prime Minister's questions.
Mr. Robert HughesAs early-day motions now have to contain the letter "R" beside the principal proposer, will the Leader of the House propose that those who 630 table questions for Question Time should have the letters "FR" put after their numbers, meaning "fee received", and how much they get paid for them?
§ Mr. NewtonIngenious though the hon. Gentleman's question is—I foresaw, if not precisely that question, that some effort might be made to introduce currently controversial matters—I had better fall back on the observation that I am Chairman of the Select Committee on Privileges.