– in the House of Commons at 5:02 pm on 12 July 1990.
Mr Bob Cryer
, Bradford South
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. As you have said that those of us who have been standing all afternoon and have not been called will be given preferential treatment, will you consider extending that to your consideration of applications for the Adjournment Debate? I wish to raise the subject of the United Nations nuclear non-proliferation review conference which will take place before the House reconvenes.
Mr Bernard Weatherill
, Croydon North East
Let me look at the subject first and then I shall consider it carefully. We have to be fair to each other in the House and a great many hon. Members wish to participate in today's debate. Before we start, let me say that, if hon. Members were to limit their speeches to 10 minutes, I would probably be able to call most if not all of them, but not if I have too many points of order.
Mr Dick Douglas
, Dunfermline West
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I would have raised this matter during business questions had I not been misinformed.
Mr Bernard Weatherill
, Croydon North East
The hon. Gentleman asked a business question.
Mr Dick Douglas
, Dunfermline West
My point of order is that the Table Office is not accepting oral questions because it has not been informed—and, to the best of my knowledge, nor has the House when the House will resume after the summer recess. That is causing considerable inconvenience to us all. The Table Office thought that the Leader of the House might be making such a statement today. Can we have some information now from the Leader of the House, or is he waiting for the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to return from Hungary?
Mr Bernard Weatherill
, Croydon North East
It is a bit wide, but the House will be interested in that point of order. I have no doubt that the Leader of the House will consider when he can make that statement, for the convenience of us all.
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.
The Speaker is an MP who has been elected to act as Chairman during debates in the House of Commons. He or she is responsible for ensuring that the rules laid down by the House for the carrying out of its business are observed. It is the Speaker who calls MPs to speak, and maintains order in the House. He or she acts as the House's representative in its relations with outside bodies and the other elements of Parliament such as the Lords and the Monarch. The Speaker is also responsible for protecting the interests of minorities in the House. He or she must ensure that the holders of an opinion, however unpopular, are allowed to put across their view without undue obstruction. It is also the Speaker who reprimands, on behalf of the House, an MP brought to the Bar of the House. In the case of disobedience the Speaker can 'name' an MP which results in their suspension from the House for a period. The Speaker must be impartial in all matters. He or she is elected by MPs in the House of Commons but then ceases to be involved in party politics. All sides in the House rely on the Speaker's disinterest. Even after retirement a former Speaker will not take part in political issues. Taking on the office means losing close contact with old colleagues and keeping apart from all groups and interests, even avoiding using the House of Commons dining rooms or bars. The Speaker continues as a Member of Parliament dealing with constituent's letters and problems. By tradition other candidates from the major parties do not contest the Speaker's seat at a General Election. The Speakership dates back to 1377 when Sir Thomas Hungerford was appointed to the role. The title Speaker comes from the fact that the Speaker was the official spokesman of the House of Commons to the Monarch. In the early years of the office, several Speakers suffered violent deaths when they presented unwelcome news to the King. Further information can be obtained from factsheet M2 on the UK Parliament website.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
