Question

The Speaker acts as Chairman (1)___ debates, and sees to it that the rules

laid (2)___ by the House for the carrying on of its business are (3)___. It is the

Speaker (4)___ selects (or calls) Members to speak. He or she acts (5)___ the

House’s representative in its corporate relations (6)___ outside bodies and the

(7)___ elements of Parliament, the House of Lords and the Crown. The (8)___

is also responsible for protecting the (9)___ of minorities in the House.

It is obviously essential (10)___ debates should be conducted (11)___ an

orderly way, and unlikely that the course of debate would flow smoothly

(12) ___ there were not some way of regulating who was to speak. The selection

of those who (13)___ to speak is therefore a (14)___important one for the

Chair, and one, which has to be handled (15)___ tact and discretion. In a debate,

official spokesmen or women for Government and Opposition must take

(16)___, as well possibly as (17)___ for the minor parties, those Members

with constituency interests, those who specialise (18)___ the subject under

discussion and (19)___ simply with a general interest. The (20)___, therefore,

has to balance all these requirements when working out who should (21)___

called.