Access to NHS Dentists

John Bercow Excerpts

Tuesday 12th September 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. Before we start the Adjournment, it might be for the benefit of the House if I explained—because a lot of people do not seem to realise this, including sometimes Members who have been in the House for quite a long time—what the rules appertaining to participation in the end-of-day Adjournment debate are. Any Member can seek to intervene on the person whose Adjournment debate it is. Equally, the Member whose debate it is not obliged to accept the intervention, though he or she can. That process does not require any involvement by the Chair or the Minister. If, however, a Member wishes to make what he or she might call an intervention but what we would regard as a speech of two or three minutes or more, that is permitted only if the Member whose debate it is agrees, the Minister agrees, and the occupant of the Chair agrees.

I thought it might be useful to make that point at the outset of this Parliament, because I have often come across very experienced and sometimes distinguished Members who do not seem to be aware of the distinction between intervening and making a speech in such circumstances. I hope that is helpful to colleagues.

Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn.—(Andrew Stephenson.)