STARRED QUESTIONS BY PEERS (Hansard, 6 December 1972)

§ LORD DERWENT
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (EARL JELLICOE)
My Lords, if it is the general wish of the House, I should be quite willing to ask the Procedure Committee to consider the suggestion of my noble friend, but perhaps I should remind your Lordships that the Group on the Working of the House (the "Four Wise Men", as I think they were termed) recommended only last year—and here I quote the words of their Report: no further limitation on the present right of each Peer to ask up to two questions a day, although we would stress that the abuse of this right, even by a tiny minority, would quickly make a new system necessary". In fact only a year ago they recommended that there should be no change: but I should like to repeat that if it is the general wish of your Lordships' House that this matter should be referred to the Procedure Committee I should be very willing to do so.

§ LORD DERWENT
My Lords, as during the last year the House has had further experience of how the rule is working, perhaps my noble friend could refer this to the appropriate Committee—because since the "Wise Men" made up their minds I think it may be that circumstances have altered somewhat.

§ LORD SHACKLETON
My Lords, before the noble Earl answers the question asked by the noble Lord, may I ask whether he has noted that the Order Paper is not very full as regards Questions? There are only three down to-day; and if my noble friend, Lord Brockway, asks the majority of Questions, is not the noble Earl aware that this is a measure of my noble friend's assiduity, and possibly also a reflection of the sloth of other Members of the House? I must not get involved in a debate on this matter, but may I ask the noble Earl to consider it more fully before we take it to the Procedure Committee, because my present feeling is that they would also recommend no change.

§ LORD SHINWELL
My Lords, would the noble Earl consider having more Questions rather than fewer? Is he aware that Questions are the most interesting part of the procedure in your Lordships' House? Is he also aware that sometimes one can be terribly bored listening to meandering speeches? Is he further aware that Questions furnish an opportunity of ventilating grievances and, what is more important, are a means of testing the stamina, quality and character of Ministers on the Government Front Bench?

EARL JELLICOE
My Lords, I am well aware of the intense interest which the Questions put by the noble Lord, Lord Shinwell, always arouse, and of course I know that the stamina of Ministers is fully able to resist even his most barbed supplementaries. I am also fully aware of the immense industry (which we all admire) of the noble Lord, Lord Brockway. But, that said, it has been my impression—and we may have run a little counter to this to-day—that Question Time is tending to go rather quicker than it has in the past. However, I believe that this is something we should keep under close review, and indeed under tighter control than sometimes we have permitted ourselves, or that I have per- 248 mitted the House, during the last year or so. My own feeling is that it would perhaps be a mistake for me to make any formal recommendation to the Procedure Committee at this stage. This is something which I think the Procedure Committee should very much bear in mind.

§ LORD SEGAL
My Lords, would not the noble Earl agree that the whole character of the House would be altered if some of the more familiar names were allowed to disappear from the Order Paper?

§ LORD BROCKWAY
My Lords, in view of the fact that my name has been mentioned on both sides of the House, may I ask the Leader of the House whether he is aware that I do not seek subjects in order to put down Questions? I put down Questions when subjects seem to me to be important. Is the noble Earl also aware that I try to conform with the courtesies of this House, and that if I thought my Questions were excluding other Questions I should be very ready to accept the suggestion which is now made? But is it not the case that there is no queue for Questions? For instance, to-day there are only three Questions. A look through the Order Paper on corning days will show that there are only three Questions per day. If I was convinced that my Questions were excluding others, I should be very ready to accept the suggestion which has been made.

EARL JELLICOE
My Lords, I am very grateful to the noble Lord for what he has said. We all recognise the unique magnetic properties which he has for attracting subjects. But, that said, I should like to point out to my noble friend Lord Derwent that of course it is absolutely within his right at any time to suggest himself that the Procedure Committee should look at this matter.

§ LORD SHACKLETON
My Lords, may I ask the noble Earl whether he could have a study made? Is he aware that perhaps there are fewer Questions on the Order Paper as a result of the influenza epidemic? Possibly there have been some withdrawals. Such a study could produce, among other things, an interesting statistical analysis of my noble friend's subject-seeking role. Perhaps consideration could be given to 249 whether this might be brought to the notice of the Procedure Committee. The noble Earl said that this was a matter that we should keep under review, as the noble Lord, Lord Derwent suggested. We might look at it again, but first let us get the figures.

§ LORD DERWENT
My Lords, may I say in self-defence that I never mentioned the noble Lord, Lord Brockway.

§ LORD SHINWELL
My Lords, there is one question that I forgot to ask. Can the noble Earl arrange things so that the Answers to Questions are more satisfactory?

EARL JELLICOE
My Lords, I have been trying to sense the feeling of the House without unduly prolonging this particular part of Question Time. Statistics can sometimes be valuable, and I am very happy to fall in with the suggestion of the noble Lord the Leader of the Opposition and keep this matter under review. I hope that my noble friend Lord Derwent will feel that that course is satisfactory.