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Mr. Tony Banks (Newham, North-West) : On a point of order, Madam Speaker-Elect.

Madam Speaker-Elect : Today would not be complete without a point of order.

Mr. Banks : It will be a short point of order. I know of two hon. Members who wanted to vote for you, Madam Speaker-Elect, but who did not do so--probably the only two. One was you, who did not vote on a matter of principle, and the other was myself. My reason was nothing to do with principles, because I have few of those. The reason was bad timing on my part. I had intended to vote for you. I hope that, when you read Hansard, you will not hold that against me.

Madam Speaker-Elect : That is the most bogus point of order I have heard this Session.

4.32 pm

Mr. John Hume (Foyle) : I, as the leader of a minority party, join the leaders of the other parties in the House in expressing our warmest congratulations to you, Madam Speaker-Elect, on your election. I heard you say clearly--I agree with you--that you were elected because of who and what you are and not because of what you were born, but I believe that it is historically significant that this place, which has always taken pride in the title "the Mother of Parliaments", has at last after centuries put a woman in the Chair. The occasion is also historic because it does not take too much thought to realise that you, Madam Speaker-Elect, will lead this Parliament out of the 20th

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century into the 21st century. Everyone will agree that we are delighted that we are being led out of this century, which has been one of the centuries of greatest suffering which the world has seen, into a century of hope by a lady such as you. I wish you well and look forward to working with you in this Parliament.

4.34 pm

Mr. Tim Devlin (Stockton, South) : May I wish you, Madam Speaker- Elect, my warmest congratulations?

4.35 pm

Mr. David Harris (St. Ives) : May I, too, offer you my congratulations, Madam Speaker-Elect? I hope that what I am about to say will not be taken in the wrong spirit. The outcome of this election has been a fine one, and I am sure that the whole House rejoices in it. You will recall, however, Madam Speaker-Elect, that, at the outset of our proceedings, I raised with the Father of the House, who was in the Chair, the manner in which candidates were being presented for election. I felt that the system was wrong and that it was rather bizarre that right hon. and hon. Members who had made it perfectly clear that they were willing to stand for the high office that you will now occupy were being denied the opportunity to do so.

All that I ask, Madam Speaker-Elect, is that, in the fullness of time, the system for electing the Speaker should be revised--in case there are other elections in years to come--so that anyone who wishes to stand for the office has the opportunity to do so in a way which would be regarded as normal in any other election.

ADJOURNMENT

Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn.-- [Mr. Boswell.]

M adam Speaker-Elect-- thereupon put the Question, which being agreed to, the House adjourned accordingly until tomorrow, and M adam Speaker-Elect-- went away without the Mace before her. Adjourned accordingly at twenty-five minutes to Five o'clock.

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