Wednesday, 1 March 1922
The House met at a Quarter before Three of the Clock, Mr. SPEAKER in the Chair.
Private Bills (Standing Orders applicable thereto complied with),—Mr. SPEAKER laid upon the Table Report from one of the Examiners of Petitions for Private Bills, That in the case of the...
Copy ordered "of Accounts of the Civil Contingencies Fund, 1920–21, showing (1) the receipts and payments in connection with the Fund in the year ended the 31st day of March, 1921; (2) the...
Major C. LOWTHER: 2. asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether negotiations are being carried on for the purpose of concluding a commercial treaty with Spain?
3. asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether His Majesty's Government has received during the last 10 years reports which confirm the existence of widespread and growing...
6. asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether, in view of the fact that service at Rosyth is classified as home service, steps will be taken to limit the period of service at that...
7. asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether the vacancy which existed in Division II pay office of the Royal Naval Barracks, Portsmouth, for a commissioned or warrant writer has...
8. asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is yet in a position to make any statement with reference to the promotion of lieutenant-commanders to commanders, and with...
10. asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether the Commander-in-Chiefs yachts "Surprise" and "Alacrity" are still in commission; if not, when they were paid off; what is the...
12. asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether it is proposed, in accordance with the recommendation of the Geddes Committee, to reduce the surplus of executive officers over...
14. asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if the distribution of prize money in April next will follow precedent and be given in the first place to active ratings and given on...
16. asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that the "Marsa," an Admiralty minesweeper, was sunk at Harwich Harbour in November, 1917, by collision with another of His Majesty's...
9. asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many ex-service men employed in a temporary capacity competed at the recent examinations for the clerical class; how many passed,...
13. asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether the Committee appointed under the presidency of Captain E. Martin Bennett, C.B.E., R.N., to consider the question of resettlement of...
25. asked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been drawn to the case of ex-Sergeant G. Parsonage, of 18, Dundee Street, Lancaster; whether he is aware that this man was employed as...
33. asked the Minister of Health how many ex-service men are under notice of dismissal; and whether the Lytton Report recommenda- tions have been carried out as regards these discharges,...
74. asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that disabled men have received notice to leave the Mechanical Transport Depots Royal Army Service Corps, Deptford, while home service...
11. asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether the Estimates for 1922–23 have been formed in accordance with the Cabinet Instruction of 1919 on the assumption that no great...
28. asked the Minister of Health what is the estimated cost to the national and local authorities of making two electoral registers per annum; whether one was considered necessary before the War;...
Lieut.-Colonel A. MURRAY: 49. asked the Prime Minister whether it is the intention of His Majesty's Government to dispense with all publicity activities abroad, as proposed by the Geddes...
15. asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether a large increase has been made in the number of the civil posts in the Admiralty; why there are three private assistant secretaries...
27. asked the Minister of Labour whether any persons engaged on the work of the Trade Board Section are under notice, and, if so, whether he will state the number of such persons and the reasons...
45. asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the still large number of unemployed, he will make careful inquiries before altering the constitution of the Department of Overseas Trade, and...
61. asked the Prime Minister whether he will give instructions that those men who made personal application for permission to join the Army during the War, but who were refused permission by the...
82. asked the hon. Member for the Pollok Division of Glasgow, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, the number of officials in the Office of Works in 1913 and 1921 respectively, and...
17. asked the Minister of Labour whether a man receiving unemployment benefit and who marries while in receipt of it is entitled to the 5s. for his wife; and, if so, whether payment for any...
18. asked the Minister of Labour whether a married woman doing part-time domestic work and earning 10s. per week thereat will receive the 5s. unemployment benefit if and because her husband is...
21. asked the Minister of Labour if the priniple has been definitely established that a nurse, unemployed because she is waiting for a case, is not automatically entitled, although a regular...
23. asked the Minister of Labour if he can inform the House whether the case decided by the High Court which excluded caretakers from benefit under the Unemployment Insurance Act, to which they...
24. asked the Minister of Labour if he has received representations, supported both by miners and mine-owners in the Somerset and other coalfields, urging that the continuity rule under the...
29. asked the Minister of Health whether it is possible to arrange for the housing subsidy for new houses which is given to local authorities to be extended to 1924, so as to place England and...
31. asked the Minister of Health how many tons of roofing slates have yet to be taken delivery of by the Department of Building Material Supplies, Edinburgh, and of this tonnage how much has...
32. asked the Minister of Health if it is proposed to close down at the end of March next the office of the Housing Commissioner for Wales and Monmouthshire which, since its establishment, has...
36. asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the increased profiteering caused by the buying up of cottages and the letting of them furnished at exorbitant rents,...
Mr. T. THOMSON: 43. asked the Minister of Health the total numbers of building operatives employed on the various local authorities' housing schemes on the following dates: 1st October, 1st...
Mr. PERCY: 63. asked the Minister of Health whether the Government have decided to take prompt measures to sell, where possible, at under cost, the houses recently erected under the Housing Acts...
Colonel NEWMAN: 65. asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the evasion of the Rent Restriction Act, whereby landlords or lessors of flats charge a premium for...
Mr. T. THOMSON: 30. asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the present system of local rating is inequitable both in form and incidence; and when he proposes to introduce the...
37. asked the Minister of Health whether certain officials have recently been appointed to inspect and supervise the work of district auditors; what is the reason for their appointment; and...
38. asked the Minister of Health how many persons are engaged on schemes of borough extensions in the Ministry of Health; how many have been so engaged and what has been the cost to the taxpayers...
39. asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the bad German salt which has recently been arriving in both England and Ireland in large quantities, and to the fact that...
41. asked the Minister of Health if he will review for the purposes of alteration the Union Assessment Committee Acts to allow applicants to the Assessment Committee the opportunities which the...
42. asked the Minister of Health what action he proposes to take in conjunction and co-operation with the Minister of Education in respect to the care, general education, and training for...
44. asked the Minister of Health whether he will consider the advisabiliy of at once setting up, in consultation with the Minister of Agriculture, a small Committee to consider, in the light of...
40. asked the Minister of Health if full opportunities have been given to the agents' unions in respect of consultation as to the proposed legislation on industrial insurance; and if he will...
46. asked the Prime Minister whether he has seen the suggestion of M. Franklin Bouillon that a suitable solution of the Anglo-French detente over Turkey could be arrived at by the cession of...
47. asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the rejection of the principle of nationality at the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the concept thereof, as applicable to Eastern and Western...
48. asked the Prime Minister what other countries maintain an Air Force and Air Ministry as a distinct department of government on similar lines as that existing in this country; whether he is...
51. asked the Prime Minister if the attention of His Majesty's Government has been called to a recent speech of M. Pasic, made during the investigation of the Commission of the League of Nations...
Lieut.-Colonel MURRAY: 54. asked the Prime Minister if he will specify the duties in connection with the League of Nations which are entrusted to the Cabinet Secretariat?
50. asked the Prime Minister whether the agents of the Provisional Government, to whom the British Government are turning over stores and property ostensibly for safe custody, belong to the Irish...
57. asked the Prime Minister whether Dail Eircann is, during the next three months, to continue to meet and to function in all its departments as before the signing of the Articles of Agreement;...
58. asked the Prime Minister whether the British Government have informed the Provisional Government for Southern Ireland that the British Government held itself responsible for the burning of...
60. asked the Prime Minister whether British Consular and Diplomatic representatives abroad are to be at the service of citizens of the Irish Free State; and whether any contribution will be made...
62. asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the details of the ravages in certain families wholly caused by venereal disease; whether any steps, other than voluntary...
66. asked the Minister of Health if the Hospitals Commission have now distributed the £500,000 voted to assist the voluntary hospitals; the amounts allocated to each of the London hospitals...
67. asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the amendments to the forced Labour Ordinance in Kenya Colony have been approved; and if he will lay them upon the Table of the House?
69. asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, as the Zionist Executive has published a report regarding the riots which took place during Easter, 1920, he will lay upon the Table of...
70. asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can arrange that British industrial areas which are suffering through the suspension of British naval construction shall receive a...
71. asked the Secretary of State for War when the issue will be made of medals to the troops engaged in suppressing the rebellion in Iraq in 1920?
75. asked the Secretary of State for War whether a ranker officer with a total service of 25 years and qualifying service of 16 years, and commissioned service of six years, during which he held...
(by Private Notice) asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he is aware that the workmen who took their discharge on 25th February from the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, were advised by the...
77. asked the Minister of Agriculture whether the Government holding of £350,000 debentures in the British Farina Mills, Limited, has been redeemed; if so, at what date and by what means; if...
Mr. DOYLE: 78. asked the Minister of Agriculture what progress is being made in the scientific inquiry into the sporadic outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease; and whether such inquiry will cover...
79. asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will state in general terms the purpose of the Allotments Bill mentioned in the Gracious Speech at the opening of the present Session, and when the...
83. asked the hon. Member for the Pollok Division of Glasgow, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether he has received any protest from the London County Council against the...
84. asked the President of the Board of Trade the number and names of countries which raised their tariffs against Great Britain in the period 1908 to 1916, and from 1916 to the present day?
Sir J. D. REES: May I ask how one obtains an oral answer from the President of the Board of Education. If one is told to put a question on the Paper it is never reached?
Lieut.-Colonel J. WARD: I beg to move, That leave be given to introduce a Bill to provide for insurance against unemployment. On 22nd February the Ministry of Labour issued a circular letter to...
"to provide for insurance against Unemployment," presented accordingly, and read the First time; to be read a Second time upon Thursday, 30th March, and to be printed. [Bill 44.]
I beg to move That leave be given to bring in a Bill to abolish in Great Britain the award of capital punishment for any crime or offence whatsoever. I feel too deeply in this matter to indulge...
That they have agreed to,
So much of the Lords Message this day as relates to the place and time of meeting of the Joint Committee on Indian Affairs considered.
ISAAC FOOT, Esquire, for the County of Cornwall (Bodmin Division).
"to amend the First Schedule to the Agriculture Act, 1920," presented by Lieut.-Colonel ARTHUR MURRAY; supported by Mr. Gardiner, Major Howard, Mr. Royce, Sir Robert Thomas, and Major Mackenzie...
Motion made, and Question proposed, "That this House do now adjourn."— [Colonel Leslie Wilson.]
I propose to deal, in the first place, with the subject of education. The recommendation is for a reduction of £18,000,000 in the expenditure of the Education Departments. Part of that,...
Now I turn to the question of the Navy. The Geddes Committee recommend a reduction of £21,000,000 in the Provisional Estimates which the Admiralty presented, and that without any regard to...
On the question of the Army, the Geddes Committee recommend a reduction of £20,000,000 on the provisional Estimate, or £22,500,000 if we include the Middle East. But again I have this...
I will turn now briefly to the question of the Air Force. There the cut recommended was £5,500,000, but, as before, £1,000,000 of that was unspecified. The Air Minister proposed a...
It was suggested by the Geddes Committee that there should be set up a Ministry of Defence. That would not, at least immediately, have the result of bringing about great economies in the public...
There are three other Departments dealt with in the First Report of the Committee. Those are the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Health and the Department of War Pensions. With regard to the...
I come to the subject of war pensions. The war pensions administration themselves put forward suggestions for a reduction in their expenditure of £6,000,000 and these have been adopted both...
I turn now to the Second Report which deals for the most part with trade and agriculture, and I shall survey the proposals of the Committee and the Government recommendations as rapidly as I can....
The first item with which I deal is the Ministry of Transport. There are no recommendations made for a further reduction of the expenses in connection with the Ministry of Transport. In the...
I turn to the Department of Overseas Trade. The Committee recommended that it should be abolished. The whole saving by its abolition would be £94,000 in the year, because they do not...
Somebody asked me a question upon the Department of Mines. The Geddes Committee recommended that it should be dissolved into all the original elements from which it was composed, and go back to...
I turn now to the subject of forestry. The Committee on National Expenditure recommended that the Forestry Department be abolished. The Department itself has not been very long in existence, and...
As to the agricultural groups which fall in the Second Report, the reductions recommended there were £855,000, and we have accepted reductions to the amount of £642,000. I shall tell...
On the question of police and prisons, the reduction recommended was £1,599,000, and the reduction agreed is £1,253,000. These reductions are got, however, in a different way from that...
There is one matter of general interest which the Geddes Committee dealt with, and which I will only mention in passing. They have taken very particular notice of the system of percentage grants...
I may, I think, sum up the result of this somewhat discursive survey. The Committee on National Expenditure recommended a reduction in Votes of £86,000,000, and that is exclusive of what...
Now I should like the House to know what we actually have in anticipation in the way of savings between the Estimates of the present financial year and the Estimates of the next financial year. I...
Resolved, That the draft of a Special Order proposed to be made by the Board of Trade under Section 10 of the Gas Regulation Act, 1920, on the application of the Dursley Gas Light and Coke...
Committee to consider of authorising the issue out of the Consolidated Fund of such sums, not exceeding in the whole nine hundred and fifty thousand pounds, as are required for the payment of...
Resolved, "That this House do now adjourn."—[Colonel Leslie Wilson.]
Debates in the House of Commons are an opportunity for MPs from all parties to scrutinise government legislation and raise important local, national or topical issues.
And sometimes to shout at each other.