Oral Answers to Questions — Civil Service – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 10 Mehefin 1991.
Mr Bernard Weatherill
, Croydon North East
12:00,
10 Mehefin 1991
I understand that the eighth motion relating to statutory instruments is not to be moved. With the leave of the House, I will put together the remaining seven questions relating to statutory instruments.
Ordered,That the draft Vienna Document (Privileges and Immunities) Order 1991 be referred to a Standing Committee on Statutory Instruments, &c.That the Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions) (Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning) Order 1991 (S.I., 1991, No. 1235) be referred to a Standing Committee on Statutory Instruments, &c.That the Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions) (Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning) (No. 2) Order 1991 (S.I., 1991, No. 1295) be referred to a Standing Committee on Statutory Instruments, &c.That the Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions) (Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning) (No. 3) Order 1991 (S.I. 1991, No. 1296) be referred to a Standing Committee on Statutory Instruments, &c.That the draft Criminal Justice (International Cooperation) Act 1990 (Enforcement of Overseas Forfeiture Orders) Order 1991 be referred to a Standing Committee on Statutory Instruments, &c.That the draft Criminal Justice (International Cooperation) Act 1990 (Enforcement of Overseas Forfeiture Orders) (Scotland) Order 1991 be referred to a Standing Committee on Statutory Instruments, &c.That the draft Confiscation of the Proceeds of Drug Trafficking (Designated Countries and Territories) (Scotland) Order 1991 be referred to a Standing Committee on Statutory Instruments, &c.—[Mr. John M. Taylor.]
Mr Bernard Weatherill
, Croydon North East
Order. If I take points of order now, that will take time from the guillotine motion—
Mr Bernard Weatherill
, Croydon North East
Sit down, please. Points of order now take time from the allocation of time motion and the Second Reading, and a great many right hon. and hon. Members wish to participate in that debate.
Gerald Howarth
, Cannock and Burntwood
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I am sure that you would agree in the circumstances that it would not be right to proceed with the important legislation that we are about to debate without acknowledging the tremendous English success in the test match. As my hon. Friend the Minister for Sport is at the Bar of the Chamber, it would be appropriate for the House to convey to the England team, to my hon. Friend the Minister for Sport and to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister its enormous thanks to the efforts of our team and the inspiration of our Ministers.
Mr Bernard Weatherill
, Croydon North East
I am not certain whether there is any Government responsibility for that.
Mr Win Griffiths
, Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr
Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker, may I point out to the hon. Member for Cannock and Burntwood (Mr. Howarth) that it was not an English cricket team, but a British cricket team? The principal bowler is from Glamorgan.
Mr Bernard Weatherill
, Croydon North East
That is very good news.
Simon Hughes
Opposition Deputy Chief Whip (Commons), Shadow Spokesperson (Education)
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.
Mr Bernard Weatherill
, Croydon North East
Does this have something to do with the Bermondsey cricket team?
Simon Hughes
Opposition Deputy Chief Whip (Commons), Shadow Spokesperson (Education)
No, I wish it had. What is it necessary for my hon. Friend the Member for Caithness and Sutherland (Mr. Maclennan) to do as the Liberal Democrats' art spokesman other than to table a question for the ballot, attend throughout Question Time and rise at each opportunity in order to be called on the rare occasion—
Mr Bernard Weatherill
, Croydon North East
Order. I can give the hon. Gentleman a short answer. The questions were about London, and the hon. Member for Caithness and Sutherland (Mr. Maclennan) is not a London Member.
Mr Bernard Weatherill
, Croydon North East
The Clerk will now proceed to read the Orders of the Day.
Mr Robert Maclennan
, Caithness and Sutherland
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.
Mr Bernard Weatherill
, Croydon North East
Order. The hon. Gentleman should reflect that he has asked to be called on the guillotine motion and on Second Reading. Is it not overdoing it a bit to be asked to be called at Question Time as well?
Mr Robert Maclennan
, Caithness and Sutherland
During Welsh questions you made it plain that one does not need to be a Welsh person to ask questions about Wales. By the same token, one does not need to be a Londoner to ask questions about the arts in London. Furthermore, the opportunity to ask questions about the arts is limited—
Mr Bernard Weatherill
, Croydon North East
Order. I think that the hon. Gentleman is challenging my discretion. If he looks at the Order Paper, he will see how difficult it would have been for me to go over to his side of the Chamber, given that questions Nos. 32 and 33 today were linked in that short time. I am very sorry that I could not call the hon. Gentleman. As the Leader of the Opposition said when I was chosen as Speaker on the second occasion, unhappily in this Chamber no hon. Member can expect to be called on the day he wants, on the subject he wants and at the time he wants.
Mr Ron Davies
, Caerffili
I hesitate to intervene, Mr. Speaker, but further to the point of order raised by the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes), you directly contradicted your earlier ruling. May I remind you that in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Rhondda (Mr. Rogers), you said that you were quite happy to call hon. Members from whichever part of the United Kingdom they represented because the matters were before the House and this is a United Kingdom Parliament. However, in reply to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey, you specifically said that you refused to call the hon. Member for Caithness and Sutherland (Mr. Maclennan) because the matters on the Order Paper were London matters and he had no Constituency interest in them. Those two rulings are absolutely contradictory. I press on you the point raised—
Mr Bernard Weatherill
, Croydon North East
Order. The hon. Member for Caerphilly (Mr. Davies), who was called today, would be best advised to come and have a glass of milk with me later this evening and I will explain my difficulties in calling every hon. Member who wishes to participate in Welsh or Scottish questions. The hon. Member for Rhondda (Mr. Rogers) can come too.
Derek Conway
, Shrewsbury and Atcham
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. You will recall that during Arts questions you called eight Members to speak about Greater London arts funding seven of whom were from London. Those of us who were also bobbing up and down at the time trying to catch your eye to explain that arts exist in the regions—[Interruption.]—have not complained about that in points of order. However, we observe that hon. Members on the Liberal Benches, who get a disproportionate opportunity to take part, leave the Chamber as soon as they have recorded a view—[Interruption.]
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Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
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