Major Lloydasked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the length of speeches in proportion to the curtailment of the normal hours of sittings of the House, he will consider either extending the time of the daily sitting or adding to the number of the sittings of the House each week and thus provide greater facilities for more Members of the House to speak than exist at present or alternatively, enlist the co-operation of honourable Members by inviting them to accept a self-denying ordinance in this respect?
§ The Prime Minister:The question of limiting the length of speeches has been considered on many occasions but no satisfactory remedy has so far been found. The solution rests with hon. Members themselves and any voluntary arrangement which would allow a greater number to give expression to their views on important Debates within the time allotted would undoubtedly be to the general advantage. My hon. and gallant Friend will appreciate that the length and the number of sittings must depend primarily upon the progress of urgent and essentia' 47W Government business, and I would remind him that the length of the sitting was recently extended.