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Column 972

Monro, Sir Hector

Montgomery, Sir Fergus

Moonie, Dr Lewis

Morris, Rt Hon A. (W'shawe)

Morris, M (N'hampton S)

Morrison, Sir Charles

Mowlam, Marjorie

Moynihan, Hon Colin

Mudd, David

Needham, Richard

Nelson, Anthony

Neubert, Michael

Newton, Rt Hon Tony

Nicholls, Patrick

Nicholson, David (Taunton)

Oppenheim, Phillip

Page, Richard

Paice, James

Parkinson, Rt Hon Cecil

Patnick, Irvine

Patten, Rt Hon Chris (Bath)

Patten, Rt Hon John

Pawsey, James

Porter, David (Waveney)

Portillo, Michael

Powell, William (Corby)

Prescott, John

Raison, Rt Hon Timothy

Renton, Rt Hon Tim

Ridley, Rt Hon Nicholas

Ridsdale, Sir Julian

Rifkind, Rt Hon Malcolm

Roberts, Wyn (Conwy)

Rossi, Sir Hugh

Rost, Peter

Ryder, Richard

Sackville, Hon Tom

Sainsbury, Hon Tim

Scott, Rt Hon Nicholas

Shaw, Sir Giles (Pudsey)

Shaw, Sir Michael (Scarb')

Shephard, Mrs G. (Norfolk SW)

Shersby, Michael

Sims, Roger

Skeet, Sir Trevor

Smith, Sir Dudley (Warwick)

Smith, Tim (Beaconsfield)

Speed, Keith

Speller, Tony

Spicer, Michael (S Worcs)

Stanbrook, Ivor

Stern, Michael

Stevens, Lewis

Stewart, Allan (Eastwood)

Stewart, Andy (Sherwood)

Stradling Thomas, Sir John

Sumberg, David

Tapsell, Sir Peter

Taylor, Ian (Esher)

Taylor, John M (Solihull)

Thompson, D. (Calder Valley)

Thorne, Neil

Thornton, Malcolm

Thurnham, Peter

Tredinnick, David

Trippier, David

Trotter, Neville

Twinn, Dr Ian

Viggers, Peter

Waddington, Rt Hon David

Waldegrave, Rt Hon William

Walker, Bill (T'side North)

Waller, Gary

Watts, John

Wells, Bowen

Wheeler, Sir John

Wiggin, Jerry

Williams, Alan W. (Carm'then)

Wood, Timothy

Woodcock, Dr. Mike

Yeo, Tim

Tellers for the Noes :

Mr. David Lightbown and

Mr. Nicholas Baker.

Question accordingly negatived.

Main Question put and agreed to.

Ordered,

That, at this day's sitting, the Motions in the name of Sir Geoffrey Howe relating to Private Members' Motions, Public Petitions and New Writs may be proceeded with until Seven o'clock ; and at that hour, if proceedings thereon have not been previously disposed of, Mr. Speaker shall put successively the Question already proposed from the Chair and the Questions on such of the remaining Motions as may then be made, including the Questions on any Amendments thereto which he may have selected.

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Column 973

Private Members' Motions

6.8 pm

The Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Sir Geoffrey Howe) : I beg to move

That--

Private Members' Motions (Business of the House) Unless the House otherwise orders, Private Members' notices of motions shall not be received for any day other than an early day, if

(a) with respect to any private Members' bill, they would have an effect similar to that of motions of which notice may be given under paragraph (2) of Standing Order No. 14 (Exempted business) ; (b) they would have the effect of varying the practice of the House or the provisions of Standing Order No. 11 (Friday sittings) or Standing Order No. 13 (Arrangement of public business) so far as concerns the precedence, arrangement or timing of business ; (c) they would have the effect of allocating time to anyproceedings ;

(d) they would have the effect of amending or varying any Standing Order ; or

(e) they would have the effect, whether by amendment or by the making of a new Order, of dispensing with or varying the effect of, this Order.

That this Order be a Standing Order of the House.

Mr. Speaker : The Leader of the House has already suggested that, with this, we may discuss the other two procedure motions : That Standing Order No. 133 (No debate on presentation of Petition) be repealed and the following Standing Order be made-- Time and manner of presenting petitions (1)--Every petition presented under Standing Order No. 132 (Presentation of petitions) not containing matter in breach of the privileges of this House, and which according to the rules or usual practice of this House can be received, shall be brought to the Table--

(a) on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, after a Member of the government shall have signified his intention to move That this House do now adjourn', for the purpose of bringing the sitting to a conclusion, or after a Minister of the Crown shall have signified his intention to move, pursuant to Standing Order No. 10 (Sittings of the House (suspended sittings)) That the proceedings of this day's sitting be suspended', and

(b) on Fridays, at the commencement of public business ; provided that petitions remaining to be presented at Ten o'clock on a Friday on which private Members' bills or Motions have precedence under Standing Order No. 13 (Arrangement of public business) shall stand over and may be brought to the Table after a member of the government shall have signified his intention to move That this House do now adjourn', for the purpose of bringing the sitting to a conclusion. (2) Proceedings under paragraph (1)(a) and (1)(b) of this Order shall not be interrupted at Ten o'clock or at half past Two o'clock respectively.

(3) Mr. Speaker shall not allow any debate, or any Member to speak upon, or in relation to, such petition ; but it may be read by the Clerk if required.

That if a Motion to the effect that Mr. Speaker do issue his warrant to the Clerk of the Crown to make out a new writ for the electing of a Member is proposed to be made or is made after prayers on any day on which private Members' bills or notices of motion have precedence, and is opposed, proceedings thereon shall lapse. That this Order be a Standing Order of the House.

Sir Geoffrey Howe : We shall vote on the three procedure motions at 7 o'clock. I propose to speak briefly on all three now. The House will recall that on 1 February we dealt with the third report of the Procedure Committee

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