New Writ (Brecon and Radnor)

Part of Prayers – in the House of Commons at 12:03 pm on 7 June 1985.

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Photo of Stephen Dorrell Stephen Dorrell , Loughborough 12:03, 7 June 1985

I am sure that it is right to say that hon. Members can resist the pressures, but surely the hon. Gentleman should consider the effect on the groups outside. It is one thing for a group to know that once a year it has to make the sort of effort to which I referred. It is quite another thing every six weeks to have to organise and present an argument to the House of Commons. Under the present system it happens once a year, and if pressure groups are unsuccessful they know that they have to wait another year.

It has become increasingly evident while I have been speaking—not so much from what I have said as from the helpful and constructive interventions of hon. Members — that the procedure contained within the motion tabled by the hon. Member for Kemptown opens a whole can of worms. On those grounds, therefore, we should not proceed to the Orders of the Day. I apologise to any hon. Member who finds that my speech has been of a lower intellectual quality than his or her standard of speech, but I can only do my best, and I rest my case.