– in the House of Commons at on 18 June 1924.
Mr George Lansbury
, Poplar Bow and Bromley
asked the Prime Minister whether the Government will grant time for discussion by the House of the Resolution standing in the name of the hon. Member for Bow and Bromley dealing with the allocation of time for debate.—[To call attention to the manner in which the time available for debate in this House is allocated between Members; and to move, That this House requests the Speaker, Chairman, and Deputy-Chairman to put an end to the practice by which lists of Members who are to be called are prepared beforehand and revert to the practice whereby Members were formerly called upon to speak on catching the Speaker's eye; this House further requests the Government, in co-operation with the leaders of allsections of the House, to appoint a Select Committee of Fifteen Members to investigate and report as to what steps may be taken to shorten the length of speeches and any other proposals which will enable the work of the House of Commons to be better distributed and shared in by all Members]
Mr Ramsay Macdonald
, Aberavon
In the present congested state of Parliamentary business, I regret that I can hold out no hope of being able to afford a day for this discussion.
Mr George Lansbury
, Poplar Bow and Bromley
As I understand the Government do not see their way to give time for the discussion of the Motion, may I ask if you, Mr. Speaker, will very kindly use your influence with the Prime Minister to provide an opportunity for such discussion, as a large number of hon. Members feel very keenly on the subject?
Mr John Whitley
, Halifax
I do not think it would be for me to influence the Prime Minister.
The House of Commons is one of the houses of parliament. Here, elected MPs (elected by the "commons", i.e. the people) debate. In modern times, nearly all power resides in this house. In the commons are 650 MPs, as well as a speaker and three deputy speakers.
The Speaker is an MP who has been elected to act as Chairman during debates in the House of Commons. He or she is responsible for ensuring that the rules laid down by the House for the carrying out of its business are observed. It is the Speaker who calls MPs to speak, and maintains order in the House. He or she acts as the House's representative in its relations with outside bodies and the other elements of Parliament such as the Lords and the Monarch. The Speaker is also responsible for protecting the interests of minorities in the House. He or she must ensure that the holders of an opinion, however unpopular, are allowed to put across their view without undue obstruction. It is also the Speaker who reprimands, on behalf of the House, an MP brought to the Bar of the House. In the case of disobedience the Speaker can 'name' an MP which results in their suspension from the House for a period. The Speaker must be impartial in all matters. He or she is elected by MPs in the House of Commons but then ceases to be involved in party politics. All sides in the House rely on the Speaker's disinterest. Even after retirement a former Speaker will not take part in political issues. Taking on the office means losing close contact with old colleagues and keeping apart from all groups and interests, even avoiding using the House of Commons dining rooms or bars. The Speaker continues as a Member of Parliament dealing with constituent's letters and problems. By tradition other candidates from the major parties do not contest the Speaker's seat at a General Election. The Speakership dates back to 1377 when Sir Thomas Hungerford was appointed to the role. The title Speaker comes from the fact that the Speaker was the official spokesman of the House of Commons to the Monarch. In the early years of the office, several Speakers suffered violent deaths when they presented unwelcome news to the King. Further information can be obtained from factsheet M2 on the UK Parliament website.
