Part of the debate – in the House of Commons am 3:03 am ar 9 Gorffennaf 1991.
Mr Michael Forsyth
, Stirling
3:03,
9 Gorffennaf 1991
I congratulate the hon. Member for Glasgow, Springburn (Mr. Martin) on securing the Adjournment Debate and commend him for taking such an interest in Stobhill that we are discussing it now at 3 am. I am sure that his constituents will be impressed. I am not surprised that the hon. Gentleman should raise this issue. I welcome the fact that the hon. Members for Glasgow, Maryhill (Mrs. Fyfe) and for Glasgow, Rutherglen (Mr. McAvoy) and the Under-Secretaries of State for Scotland, my hon. Friends the Members for Eastwood (Mr. Stewart) and for Edinburgh, West (Lord James Douglas-Hamilton) are also here to take an interest in the deliberations.
An adjournment debate is a short half hour debate that is introduced by a backbencher at the end of each day's business in the House of Commons.
Adjournment debates are also held in the side chamber of Westminster Hall.
This technical procedure of debating a motion that the House should adjourn gives backbench members the opportunity to discuss issues of concern to them, and to have a minister respond to the points they raise.
The speaker holds a weekly ballot in order to decide which backbench members will get to choose the subject for each daily debate.
Backbenchers normally use this as an opportunity to debate issues related to their constituency.
An all-day adjournment debate is normally held on the final day before each parliamentary recess begins. On these occasions MPs do not have to give advance notice of the subjects which they intend to raise.
The leader of the House replies at the end of the debate to all of the issues raised.
