Orders of the Day — Communist Prosecution. – in the House of Commons at on 1 December 1925.
Mr George Garro-Jones
, Hackney South
Far be it for me to strike any note of discord in the harmonious proceedings which have characterised our Debates to-night, but I hope it will not be taken as any evidence of controversy if I ask, Is this matter to be put through the House at this late hour without any Scottish Minister being on the front bench? The House has given the Minister of Transport a number of important orders, and thereby exercised a very generous discretion, and we ought not to pass this Motion without a very clear explanation from the Financial Secretary to the Treasury.
Mr George Buchanan
, Glasgow Gorbals
This requires a great deal of explanation. I do not wish to raise the whole question of the postal service in the Islands of Scotland; but this is one point that should be raised. At least the Postmaster-General, who is to some extent responsible, should give us some explanation. At the present time in the Western Island there is great discontent among the inhabitants against the present service of steamships as between island and island and as between the islands and the mainland. We are asked, without the Minister responsible being in his place, to pass this Motion, which may in itself be quite innocent, but the Postmaster-General should at least give us some idea as to whether these boats will be in something like decent condition. At the present time there are men unemployed on the Clyde, and you have boats carrying mails —owned by various firms—which are a disgrace to the merchant service of our country. I know that the Postmaster-General will say that this is a small matter, that it is only a matter of a ferry boat. But whether the boat be large or small the principle is the same. I have raised the question of the postal service in these islands many times.
Mr James Hope
, Sheffield Central
May I point out that the Motion before the House deals only with the service in the Shetlands.
Mr George Buchanan
, Glasgow Gorbals
These questions are all bound up. On Second Readings we are always allowed a fairly general latitude. I do not want to strain that latitude, but Shetland and the Western Isles are all part of the same problem, and I hope the Postmaster-General—who is well known for his courtesy, a courtesy which hardly characterises most of his colleagues—will give us a statement in connection with Shetland, that it will not be like the service in the Western Islands, but that Shetland will get better treatment.
Mr Neil Maclean
, Glasgow Govan
On a point of Order. Is this exempted business?
Mr Neil Maclean
, Glasgow Govan
Then I object.
Mr Walter Thomson
, Middlesbrough West
I am sorry. It means that the Islands will not get it.
Mr Neil Maclean
, Glasgow Govan
Do not be insolent. We must have time to discuss these things.
The first bench on either side of the House of Commons, reserved for ministers and leaders of the principal political parties.
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.
Of a male MP, sitting on his regular seat in the House. For females, "in her place".
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.
