Mr. De la Bère:

May I respectfully ask your guidance, Mr. Speaker, on a matter affecting Questions which were on the Order Paper in my name on Thursday, 30th October? In accordance with my usual practice, I had a limited number of Questions down for that day, but owing to the congestion on the Order Paper, those Questions, which were to be answered by the Minister of Fuel and Power, were not reached. Anticipating that they would not be reached, I went to the Table, where I received, as always, the utmost courtesy, and the Questions were postponed. I then found that one Question—I think it was No. 84–was included together with a large number of others for Written Reply, and it was answered by referring me to the statement made by the Minister of Fuel and Power on the evening of Wednesday, 29th October. I would ask you, Sir, to uphold the right of hon. Members to postpone their Questions during that period. It is a right, I think, which they have enjoyed for many years, and I know, Mr. Speaker, that I shall not appeal to you in vain in this matter.

There is a further point which I will not raise, because you, Sir, have asked me not to do so. I say that with great respect, but, on this particular point, I would ask for your Ruling that hon. Members have a right, in view of the great difficulty of getting anything down on the Order Paper, and in view of the congestion, to postpone their Questions should they not be reached before the appropriate time. I would, therefore, request you to be so good as to ask the Minister of Fuel and Power to give an assurance that he will answer my Questions which were thus postponed