Orders of the Day — Post Office and Telegraph (Money) B LL. – in the House of Commons at on 1 March 1935.
Mr Jack Lawson
, Chester-le-Street
We recognise that this is a very important Bill, and in the ordinary course we would have liked to have had some time for dealing with it. My hon. Friend the Member for Lime-house (Mr. Attlee) spoke at some length on the Second Reading. The first Clause contains practically the heart of the Bill. I want to say briefly now what my hon. Friend said on the Second Reading, that we support the Bill and wish the Postmaster-General well in this great Socialist effort of his. The Bill is for the purpose of the development of the postal, telegraph and telephone systems and it gives power to raise something like £34,000,000. As I say, we wish the Postmaster-General well in this effort, which, I am sure will add to his public stature and his general credit. At the same time I feel sure that, whatever it adds to his public stature, it will be an embarrassing factor to him as far as his own political views are concerned.
Sir Kingsley Wood
, Woolwich West
I would only remark in reply to the hon. Gentleman that if he will refer to his hon. 'Friend the Member for Limehouse (Mr. Attlee) I think his hon. Friend will tell him that the Post Office is an example of State capitalism and nothing else.
Mr George Lansbury
, Poplar Bow and Bromley
We certainly do not regard it in that way. We regard the development of the Post Office as a part of the evolution of things, by which we shall travel from competitive commer cialism to State Socialism and finally to proper Socialism. I am sorry that the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Carnarvon Boroughs (Mr. Lloyd George) is not here to congratulate the right hon. Gentleman the Postmaster-General but I want to congratulate all who are interested in public works on the fact that here we are providing an example of the means whereby money can be raised for such purposes. It is often said to us, "Where are you going to get the money?" Here is a case in which a sum of £34,000,000 is going to come along without any difficulty or trouble. The industry in which it is going to be invested will carry the charges and pay it off exactly as if it were a big private monopolist company. Therefore, do not let us have any more nonsense in the future about not being able to find the money. You can find it when you have the will to find it and are determined that it shall be found. I join with my bon. Friend in hearty congratulations to the Minister, and I hope that as he carries out his private duties as minister of propaganda for the Tory party, he will explain to his supporters just as he has explained to us that a State business can be carried on without anybody outside making any money out of it.
Sir William Davison
, Kensington South
Does the right hon. Gentleman not recognise that the reason for the recent success of the Post Office is the fact that it has been run in the same way as a private business and not as a Government monopoly?
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 Second Reading is the most important stage for a Bill. It is when the main purpose of a Bill is discussed and voted on. If the Bill passes it moves on to the Committee Stage. Further information can be obtained from factsheet L1 on the UK Parliament website.
The political party system in the English-speaking world evolved in the 17th century, during the fight over the ascension of James the Second to the Throne. James was a Catholic and a Stuart. Those who argued for Parliamentary supremacy were called Whigs, after a Scottish word whiggamore, meaning "horse-driver," applied to Protestant rebels. It was meant as an insult.
They were opposed by Tories, from the Irish word toraidhe (literally, "pursuer," but commonly applied to highwaymen and cow thieves). It was used — obviously derisively — to refer to those who supported the Crown.
By the mid 1700s, the words Tory and Whig were commonly used to describe two political groupings. Tories supported the Church of England, the Crown, and the country gentry, while Whigs supported the rights of religious dissent and the rising industrial bourgeoisie. In the 19th century, Whigs became Liberals; Tories became Conservatives.
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.
As a bill passes through Parliament, MPs and peers may suggest amendments - or changes - which they believe will improve the quality of the legislation.
Many hundreds of amendments are proposed by members to major bills as they pass through committee stage, report stage and third reading in both Houses of Parliament.
In the end only a handful of amendments will be incorporated into any bill.
The Speaker - or the chairman in the case of standing committees - has the power to select which amendments should be debated.
