§ (Madam Speaker's Statement)
3.30 pm§ Madam SpeakerI have a short statement to make. On 24 February last year, I informed the House that I intended to take action to ensure swifter progress at Question Time. I was concerned that there was a growing tendency to regard Question Time as an opportunity for debate rather than for question and answer. As a result, the number of questions reached on the Order Paper was gradually diminishing. I informed the House that I would seek to enforce the recommendation of the Procedure Committee in 1990 that the length of both ministerial replies and supplementaries should be curbed and that supplementaries should not become a dialogue of queries.
I sought the co-operation of all Members on both sides of the House in seeking to make better progress in order to protect the interests of those Members with questions lower down the Order Paper, who I believe have a legitimate expectation of being called.
The initial response was most encouraging, with a significant improvement in performance. More recently, however, we have slipped back. Therefore, I renew my appeal for co-operation from all Members, including Ministers and those on the Opposition Front Bench, in the expectation that we shall be able to make better progress this Session. For my part, I shall not hesitate to intervene when I consider that Members are abusing the spirit of Question Time. We are at the beginning of a new Session. Let us make some good progress in this area.