Orders of the Day — Finance Bill. – in the House of Commons at on 30 June 1924.
Mr Neville Chamberlain
, Birmingham, Ladywood
Before we pass from this Clause, may I ask the Chancellor of the exchequer whether he is in a position to make any further statement with regard to the beet sugar industry in this country?
Mr Philip Snowden
, Colne Valley
I am not in a position, I regret to say, to state anything more than that we have had this subject under constant consideration for some time now. We have had very exhaustive inquiries made. Those inquiries have now been completed, and the final Report reached me only at the end of last week. There has not been time yet for the Government to consider the matter, but I can assure the right hon. Gentleman, and the Committee generally, that it will be considered at the earliest possible moment, and I think I may say with confidence that, before the House passes the Finance Bill, we shall be able to make some very definite statement on the subject.
Mr Fredric Wise
, Ilford
Will the right hon. Gentleman state who has made this Report.
Mr Philip Snowden
, Colne Valley
We have had inquiries made by our own Departments.
Question put, and agreed to.
A parliamentary bill is divided into sections called clauses.
Printed in the margin next to each clause is a brief explanatory `side-note' giving details of what the effect of the clause will be.
During the committee stage of a bill, MPs examine these clauses in detail and may introduce new clauses of their own or table amendments to the existing clauses.
When a bill becomes an Act of Parliament, clauses become known as sections.
The chancellor of the exchequer is the government's chief financial minister and as such is responsible for raising government revenue through taxation or borrowing and for controlling overall government spending.
The chancellor's plans for the economy are delivered to the House of Commons every year in the Budget speech.
The chancellor is the most senior figure at the Treasury, even though the prime minister holds an additional title of 'First Lord of the Treasury'. He normally resides at Number 11 Downing Street.
