– in the House of Commons at on 11 March 1935.
Sir Godfrey Nicholson
, Morpeth
asked the First Commissioner of Works whether his Department is providing a stand for Members of Parliament and their families to see the Royal Procession to and from St. Paul's Cathedral on 6th May; if so, where; and whether any charge will be made for the seats?
Mr William Ormsby-Gore
, Stafford
Twelve hundred seats will be available for Members of the two Houses of Parliament and their families on stands to be erected in Constitution Hill and in the Mall, for which a charge of 12s. 6d. per seat will be made to cover the costs of erection and management. As regards the allocation of House of Commons seats arrangements will be made through Mr. Speaker's Secretary in the usual manner.
Mr William Thorne
, West Ham Plaistow
Do I understand that this charge of 12s. 6d. is for the timber which is bought, and the construction, and that when the timber is sold the Office of Works get part of the money back again?
Mr William Ormsby-Gore
, Stafford
No, the 12s. 6d. covers only the contract for hire of the material and the cost of labour in creating the stand. As a matter of fact, no timber will be bought.
Mr William Ormsby-Gore
, Stafford
I had better make it quite clear that 1,200 seats between the two Houses, which is all the allocation I can make, means that no Member shall get more than two seats.
The House of Commons is one of the houses of parliament. Here, elected MPs (elected by the "commons", i.e. the people) debate. In modern times, nearly all power resides in this house. In the commons are 650 MPs, as well as a speaker and three deputy speakers.
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.
