Speaker’s Rulings — Debates—Reading of Speeches

Members, yesterday I undertook to give a considered ruling on the reading of speeches in debate. This topic has been the subject of numerous Speakers’ rulings and Standing Orders Committee discussions over many years. The explicit prohibition of reading speeches was removed from the Standing Orders in 1995. In 2011, wishing to enliven debate, the Standing Orders Committee recommended reinstating the ban on reading speeches as a convention rather than a rule. The convention is that “Where possible, members should not read speeches.” “Debate is best served by members engaging with the points brought up in other … speeches, and some level of improvisation is needed” to respond to other members’ speeches.

There are circumstances in which reading a speech may be acceptable. Such circumstances may relate to the technical nature of the material under discussion or a Minister’s first reading speech or a Speaker giving a ruling, a maiden speech, or perhaps even a valedictory. General debates, however, should not necessitate members to read a speech unless it is something particularly technical in its nature covered in the speech. All members are entitled to refer to notes, and some members may rely more heavily on them than others. The key thing is that members are giving their own speeches, rather than the remarks prepared for them. In any case, no member other than the Speaker may interrupt a member who is speaking to mention a breach of this convention. I refer members to and reiterate Speakers’ ruling 52/6, 52/7, and 52/3.