Debates (Selection of Speakers)

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at on 8 October 1942.

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Photo of Mr Herbert Williams Mr Herbert Williams , Croydon South

May I put a question, Mr. Speaker, about the conduct of Debate which arises out of the fact that we have not any formal Opposition in this House? I propose to base what I have to say on Tuesday's experience, an occasion when I was not seeking to speak myself. It appears that certain private Members have privileges which are denied to other private Members. "The Times" newspaper on Tuesday announced that the hon. Member for Seaham (Mr. Shinwell) and the hon. Member for Llanelly (Mr. J. Griffiths) were going to speak, and they did speak. My observation is that this kind of privilege is not extended to the generality of Members. I observe that on that occasion those two hon. Members—and I have no objection to their exploiting all the privileges they can get—occupied 20 columns of the OFFICIAL REPORT; Ministers took 22 columns; Liberals, who are not a very large party, 12 columns; and other Members of the Labour party took 15 columns, while the Conservative party, which consists of nearly two-thirds of the House, took only 19 columns out of 87, largely owing to the fact that Conservative Members spoke briefly instead of at very great length. But this position of certain Members having the privilege of being called does seem to involve an injustice to others.