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Televising Of Parliament

Volume 977: debated on Wednesday 30 January 1980

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Mr. Austin Mitchell accordingly presented a Bill to provide for the televising of the proceedings of the House of Commons and its committees and to establish a Parliamentary Television Unit to control the televising, provide feeds and recordings to outside organisations and maintain an electronic Hansard: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time upon Friday 7 March and to be printed. [Bill 134.]

On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Is it not the usual practice when there is a tied vote for the occupant of the Chair to cast his vote in favour of the status quo?

On a matter of this kind—and I gave it serious thought, because it occurred to me that something like this might happen—it is right and according to precedent to give the House a further opportunity to discuss the matter again.

Further to that point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Will you not reconsider? Should you not always leave the whole matter open to the House? By casting your vote as you have, you have not left it open to the House.

:My vote does leave the matter open to the House. This is not simply a motion. The vote does not dispose of the matter finally. It dealswith the introduction of a Bill, which comes forward for further consideration by the House. It can then be approved or rejected.