The House was surprised on Wednesday when Mr. Kennedy, a
Labour Whip, rose to draw attention to the number of questions on the paper each day which were not reached by 3.45, and to ask Mr. Speaker whether arrange- ments could not be made to restrict supplementary questions. That a spokesman of the front Opposition bench should propose to cut down the rights of Members to inter- rogate Ministers was indeed remarkable. Sir Percy Harris at once made it clear that the Liberals had no sympathy with such a suggestion, and Mr. Maxton's feelings were equally unmistakable. It is no doubt true that rather too many supplementaries are asked, and that they are not invariably to the point. But the cross-examination of Ministers on matters of public interest is one of the most valuable functions of the House of Commons and provides a useful test of the quality of Ministers. On the other hand the problem to which Mr. Kennedy drew attention is a real one. It frequently happens that some thirty or forty questions remain unanswered when the allotted hour comes to an end. This congestion might be avoided if members desiring purely statistical information would use the device of unstarred questions which only need a written answer.
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