Oral Answers to Questions — Housing. – in the House of Commons at on 9 October 1924.
Mr Joseph Sunlight
, Shrewsbury
asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that, as a consequence of the shortage of housing accommodation in the town of Shrewsbury, industrial workers in the town have to cycle, in the absence of other transport facilities, 15 miles or more, morning and night daily, to share cottages in the occupation of farm workers, who suffer terrible overcrowding; and will the Ministry press on the Corporation of Shrewsbury the urgency of building more houses in the town?
Mr Arthur Greenwood
, Nelson and Colne
My right hon. Friend is aware that Shrewsbury, in common with many other places, has a very serious need of additional housing accommodation. He thinks that the hon. Member may take it that the Council are fully alive to the necessities of the situation, and, in addition to the houses already contracted for, they are at present negotiating for the erection of a further instalment of houses.
Mr Joseph Sunlight
, Shrewsbury
asked the Minister of Health how many houses have been built in the rural parishes of the Shrews- bury Parliamentary Division of Shropshire since the 1923 Housing Act came into force; whether the total number is below the average for similar divisions; and, if so, has the Ministry taken any steps to press the urgency of building more on the rural authorities?
Mr Arthur Greenwood
, Nelson and Colne
The number of houses completed in tile rural districts of Atcham and Chirbury during the year ended the 31st March, 1924 (the latest period for which full figures are available), was 44. My right hon. Friend does not think that it is practicable to institute such a comparison as the hon. Member suggests. As the hon. Member may be aware, a circular was addressed to all local authorities in August last, explaining fully their powers and duties under the Housing (Financial Provisions) Act, 1924.
Mr Daniel Somerville
, Barrow-in-Furness
Have any houses been started under the Labour Government's programme of housing?
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
The House of Commons votes by dividing. Those voting Aye (yes) to any proposition walk through the division lobby to the right of the Speaker and those voting no through the lobby to the left. In each of the lobbies there are desks occupied by Clerks who tick Members' names off division lists as they pass through. Then at the exit doors the Members are counted by two Members acting as tellers. The Speaker calls for a vote by announcing "Clear the Lobbies". In the House of Lords "Clear the Bar" is called. Division Bells ring throughout the building and the police direct all Strangers to leave the vicinity of the Members’ Lobby. They also walk through the public rooms of the House shouting "division". MPs have eight minutes to get to the Division Lobby before the doors are closed. Members make their way to the Chamber, where Whips are on hand to remind the uncertain which way, if any, their party is voting. Meanwhile the Clerks who will take the names of those voting have taken their place at the high tables with the alphabetical lists of MPs' names on which ticks are made to record the vote. When the tellers are ready the counting process begins - the recording of names by the Clerk and the counting of heads by the tellers. When both lobbies have been counted and the figures entered on a card this is given to the Speaker who reads the figures and announces "So the Ayes [or Noes] have it". In the House of Lords the process is the same except that the Lobbies are called the Contents Lobby and the Not Contents Lobby. Unlike many other legislatures, the House of Commons and the House of Lords have not adopted a mechanical or electronic means of voting. This was considered in 1998 but rejected. Divisions rarely take less than ten minutes and those where most Members are voting usually take about fifteen. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P9 at the UK Parliament site.
