Oral Answers to Questions — Unemployment. – in the House of Commons at on 4 March 1935.
Mr George Lansbury
, Poplar Bow and Bromley
May I ask the Prime Minister whether arrangements are to be made this year for a debate on defence before the separate Estimates for the Defence Services are discussed in the House?
Mr Ramsay Macdonald
, Seaham
The Government propose to provide an opportunity for a debate on defence as a whole after the Estimates are available to hon. Members and before they are debated separately. The proposed debate on defence will take place on Monday next, 11th March, on a Motion for the Adjournment of the House, and in this connection a white paper has been made available to Members.
Mr George Lansbury
, Poplar Bow and Bromley
I am not sure whether it is correct to say that the procedure adopted by the Government in this matter is unusual, but the document which was issued at mid-day to-day is, we think, a very extraordinary document. I should like to ask the right lion. Gentleman why on page 4 in paragraph 5 of the document he describes the Government as "the National Government," and also why he does so in the last paragraph on page 10? I can understand" His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom," or "the British Government," but I am not aware that it has been customary in official documents to describe the government of the day as "the Labour Government," "the Tory Government "or "the Liberal Government." I also wish to say to the Prime Minister that when we have had time to consider this document we may desire to put down a Motion for consideration and discussion on Monday rather than debate the white paper on the Motion for the Adjournment. We have only had a short time to look at it in a hasty manner, but everyone will agree that it is a most extraordinary and alarming statement on the part of the Government.
Mr Ramsay Macdonald
, Seaham
The idea of having a debate on the Motion for Adjournment was that it might be on the widest possible grounds. The idea of the Government was that an opportunity should be given to the House to discuss without any limitation the question of the Estimates. That is why the white paper has been specially issued.
Mr George Lansbury
, Poplar Bow and Bromley
We deny altogether that this Government is any more a National Government than any other Government, and I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether it is usual in official documents to describe His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom as "the National Government" or "the Tory Government" or any other Government.
Mr Ramsay Macdonald
, Seaham
It is not usual, and I take full note of the point that the right hon. Gentleman has made.
Mr George Lansbury
, Poplar Bow and Bromley
There is only one other point. On the question as to whether we put down a Motion or not, we have no desire that the debate should be restricted, and, as the Government have issued a statement of their policy, it seems to me that it may be wiser that we should discuss it as a question of whether we approve or disapprove of it.
Mr Ramsay Macdonald
, Seaham
Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman will get in touch through the usual channels.
Mr Herbert Samuel
, Darwen
I hope the Prime Minister will take note of the protest of the Leader of the Opposition in regard to the use of the term in an official document, so that such use will not recur in any future document.
Mr Ramsay Macdonald
, Seaham
If it were not for that, I should take no notice of it at all.
Mr Morgan Jones
, Caerphilly
May I ask who is responsible for this propaganda, the Prime Minister or the Postmaster-General?
An adjournment is a break in the course of parliamentary business.
The House adjourns at the end of each day's business.
On a daily basis the House adjourns, or breaks, half an hour after the moving of the adjournment debate.
The House is also adjourned for several holiday periods during the session.
The more lengthy adjournments - often coinciding with the academic calendar - are known as recesses.
A document issued by the Government laying out its policy, or proposed policy, on a topic of current concern.Although a white paper may occasion consultation as to the details of new legislation, it does signify a clear intention on the part of a government to pass new law. This is a contrast with green papers, which are issued less frequently, are more open-ended and may merely propose a strategy to be implemented in the details of other legislation.
More from wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_paper
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.
The "Leader of the Opposition" is head of "Her Majesty's Official Opposition". This position is taken by the Leader of the party with the 2nd largest number of MPs in the Commons.
