– in the House of Commons at on 24 May 1937.
Mr Clement Attlee
, Stepney Limehouse
May I ask the Patronage Secretary whether he has any statement to make with regard to Wednesday's business and the business which it is proposed to take to-day?
Mr David Margesson
, Rugby
I understand that the Opposition desire to debate the report of the Royal Commission on the Private Manufacture of and Trading in
Arms, instead of the Colonial Office Vote previously announced. The business for Thursday and Friday will be announced to-morrow. As regards the second question, the Eleven o'clock Rule is being suspended to make certain of obtaining the Committee stage of the Civil List Resolutions. It is hoped that there will be time to obtain the Committee stage of the Statutory Salaries Bill.
Mr David Margesson
, Rugby
No, Sir. As the House is aware, it is for the Opposition to put down what Votes they wish to debate on allotted Supply days. Therefore, it does not rest with the Government to say what Vote will be put down.
Sir Archibald Sinclair
, Caithness and Sutherland
What Vote will be put down on Wednesday?
Mr David Margesson
, Rugby
The Treasury Vote.
| Division No. 186.] | AYES. | [3 31 p.m. |
| Acland, R. T. D. (Barnstaple) | Clarke, F. E. (Dartford) | Graham, Captain A. C. (Wirral) |
| Agnew, Lieut.-Comdr. P. G. | Clarke, Lt.-Col. R. S. (E. Grinstead) | Grant-Ferris, R. |
| Albery, Sir Irving | Cobb, Captain E. C. (Preston) | Granville, E. L. |
| Allan, Col. J. Sandeman (B'knhead) | Colville, Lt.-Col. Rt. Hon. D. J. | Grattan-Doyle, Sir N. |
| Allen, Lt.-Col. Sir W. J. (Armagh) | Cooke, J. D. (Hammersmith, S.) | Gridley, Sir A. B. |
| Amery, Rt. Hon. L. C. M. S. | Cooper, Rt. Hn. T. M. (E'nburgh, W.) | Griffith, F. Kingsley (M'ddl'sbro, W.) |
| Anderson, Sir A. Garrett (C. of Ldn.) | Cox, H. B. T. | Grigg, Sir E W. M. |
| Anstruther-Gray, W. J. | Cranborne, Viscount | Grimston, R. V. |
| Aske, Sir R. W. | Crookshank, Capt. H. F. C. | Gunston, Capt. D. W. |
| Assheton, R. | Cross, R. H. | Hamilton, Sir G. C. |
| Astor, Hon. W. W. (Fulham, E.) | Crossley, A. C. | Hannah, I, C. |
| Baillie, Sir A. W. M. | Davies, Major Sir G. F. (Yeovil) | Harris, Sir P. A. |
| Balfour, Capt. H. H. (Isle of Thanet) | Davison, Sir W. H. | Harvey, Sir G |
| Baxter, A. Beverley | De la Bère, R. | Haslam, H. C. (Horncastle) |
| Beamish, Rear-Admiral T. P. H. | Denman, Hon. R. D. | Haslam, Sir J. (Bolton) |
| Beauchamp, Sir B. C. | Despencer-Robertson, Major J. A. F. | Heneage, limit.-Colonel A. P. |
| Beaumont, M. W. (Aylesbury) | Doland, G. F. | Herbert, A. P. (Oxford U.) |
| Bernays, R. H. | Dorman-Smith, Major Sir R. H. | Hills, Major Rt. Hon. J. W. (Ripon) |
| Birchall, Sir J. D. | Drewe, C. | Hope, Captain Hon. A. O. J. |
| Blair, Sir R. | Duckworth, Arthur (Shrewsbury) | Hopkinson, A. |
| Bossom, A. C. | Duckworth, W. R. (Moss Side) | Hore-Belisha, Rt. Hon. L. |
| Boulton, W. W. | Dugdale, Captain T. L. | Horsbrugh, Florence |
| Bowater, Col. Sir T. Vansittart | Dunglass, Lord | Howitt, Dr. A. B. |
| Bracken, B. | Edmondson, Major Sir J. | Hudson, Capt. A. U. M. (Hack., N.) |
| Brocklebank, Sir Edmund | Elmley, Viscount | Hudson, R. S. (Southport) |
| Bullock, Capt. M. | Emmott, C. E. G. C. | Hume, Sir G. H. |
| Burgin, Rt. Hon. Dr. E. L. | Emrys-Evans, P. V. | Hunter, T. |
| Campbell, Sir E. T. | Erskine-Hill, A. G. | James, Wing-Commander A. W. H. |
| Cary, R. A. | Evans, Capt. A. (Cardiff, S.) | Jarvis, Sir J. J. |
| Cayzer, Sir C. W. (City of Chester) | Findlay, Sir E. | Joel, D. J. B. |
| Cazalet, Thelma (Islington, E.) | Fleming, E. L. | Keeling, B. H. |
| Cazalet, Capt. V. A. (Chippenham) | Fox, Sir G. W. G. | Lambert, Rt. Hon. G. |
| Chamberlain, Rt. Hn. N. (Edgb't'n) | Fremantle, Sir F. E. | Leckie, J. A. |
| Channon, H. | Gilmour, Lt.-Col. Rt. Hon. Sir J. | Leighton, Major B. E. P. |
| Chapman, Sir S. (Edinburgh, S.) | Gluokstein, L. H. | Lennox-Boyd, A. T. L. |
| Chorlton, A. E. L. | Goldie, N. B. | Levy, T. |
| Churchill, Rt. Hon. Winston S. | Goodman, Col. A. W. | Lewis, O. |
| Liddall, W. S. | Pickthorn, K. W. M. | Stourton, Major Hon. J. J. |
| Lindsay, K. M. | Pilkington, R. | Strauss, E. A. (Southwark, N.) |
| Llewellin, Lieut.-Col. J. J. | Pownall, Lt.-Col. Sir Assheton | Strickland, Captain W. F. |
| Lloyd, G. W. | Ramsbotham, H. | Stuart, Hon. J. (Moray and Nairn) |
| Locker-Lampson, Comdr. O. S. | Rathbone, Eleanor (English Univ's.) | Sueter, Rear-Admiral Sir M. F. |
| MacAndrew, Colonel Sir C. G. | Rathbone, J. R. (Bodmin) | Tasker, Sir R. I. |
| MacDonald, Sir Murdoch (Inverness) | Rawson, Sir Cooper | Tate, Mavis C. |
| McEwen, Capt. J. H. F. | Remer, J. R. | Taylor, Vice-Adm. E. A. (Padd., S.) |
| McKie, J. H. | Robinson, J. R. (Blackpool) | Thomson, Sir J. D. W. |
| Magnay, T. | Ropner, Colonel L. | Titchfield, Marquess of |
| Maitland, A. | Ross, Major Sir R. D. (Londonderry) | Touche, G. C. |
| Makins, Brig.-Gen. E. | Rothschild, J. A. de | Tree, A. R. L. F. |
| Margesson, Capt. Rt. Hon. H. D. R. | Russell, Sir Alexander | Turten, R. H. |
| Maxwell, Hon. S. A. | Russell, R. J. (Eddisbury) | Wallace, Capt. Rt. Hon. Euan |
| Mayhew, Lt.-Col. J. | Russell, S. H. M. (Darwen) | Ward, Irene M. B. (Wallsend) |
| Meller, Sir R. J. (Mitcham) | Salmon, Sir I. | Wardlaw-Milne, Sir J. S. |
| Mellor, Sir J. S. P. (Tamworth) | Samuel, M. R. A. | Waterhouse, Captain C. |
| Mills, Sir F. (Leyton, E.) | Sandeman, Sir N. S. | Watt, G. S. H. |
| Mills, Major J. D. (New Forest) | Sanderson, Sir F. B. | Wedderburn, H. J. S. |
| Mitchell, Sir W. Lane (Streatham) | Savery, Sir Servington | Wickham, Lt.-Col. E. T. R. |
| Moore, Lieut.-Col. Sir T. C. R. | Selley, H. R. | Wilson, Lt.-Col. Sir A. T. (Hitchin) |
| Moreing, A. C. | Shaw, Major P. S. (Wavertree) | Windsor-Clive, Lieut.-Colonel G. |
| Morris, O. T. (Cardiff, E.) | Shaw, Captain W. T. (Forfar) | Winterton, Rt. Hon. Earl |
| Morris-Jones, Sir Henry | Simmonds, O. E. | Withers, Sir J. J. |
| Morrison, Rt. Hon. W. S. (Cirencester) | Sinclair, Rt. Hon. Sir A. (C'thn's) | Wood, Hon. C. I. C. |
| Muirhead, Lt.-Col. A. J. | Smith, Bracewell (Dulwich) | Wood, Rt. Hon. Sir Kingsley |
| Munro, P. | Smith, Sir R. W. (Aberdeen) | Wright, Squadron-Leader J. A. C. |
| Nicholson, G. (Farnham) | Somervell. Sir D. B, (Crewe) | Young, A. S. L. (Partick) |
| O'Connor, Sir Terence J. | Somerville, A. A. (Windsor) | |
| O'Neill, Rt. Hon. Sir Hugh | Spens, W. P. | TELLERS FOR THE AYES.— |
| Orr-Ewing, I. L. | Stanley, Rt. Hon. Lord (Fylde) | Lieut.-Colonel Sir A. Lambert Ward |
| Palmer, G. E. H. | Stanley, Rt. Hon. Oliver (W'm'ld) | and Commander Sir Archibald |
| Patrick, C. M. | Stewart, J. Henderson (Fife, E.) | Southby. |
| Petherick, M. | Stewart, William J. (Belfast, S.) | |
| NOES. | ||
| Adams, D. (Consett) | Griffiths, J. (Llanelly) | Pethick-Lawrence, Rt. Hon. F. W. |
| Adams, D. M. (Poplar, S.) | Hall, G. H. (Aberdare) | Potts, J. |
| Adamson, W. M. | Halt, J. H. (Whitechapel) | Pritt, D. N. |
| Ammon, C. G. | Henderson, A. (Kingswinford) | Riley, B. |
| Attlee, Rt. Hon. C. R. | Henderson, T. (Tradeston) | Ritson, J. |
| Banfield, J. W. | Hicks, E. G. | Roberts, Rt. Hon. F. O. (W. Brom.) |
| Barnes, A. J. | Hopkin, D. | Rowson, G. |
| Barr, J. | Jagger, J. | Salter, Dr. A. (Bermondsey) |
| Batey, J. | Jenkins, A. (Pontypool) | Sanders, W. S |
| Bellenger, F. J. | Johnston, Rt. Hon. T. | Shinwell, E. |
| Benn, Rt. Hon. W. W. | Jones, A. C. (Shipley) | Silverman, S. S. |
| Brown, C. (Mansfield) | Jones, Morgan (Caerphilly) | Smith, Ben (Rotherhithe) |
| Charleton, H. C. | Kelly, W. T. | Smith, E. (Stoke) |
| Chater, D. | Kirby, B. V. | Smith, Rt. Hen. H. B. Lees- (K'ly) |
| Cluse, W. S. | Lawson, J. J. | Stephen, C. |
| Cocks, F. S. | Lee, F. | Stewart, W. J. (H'ght'n-le-Sp'ng) |
| Daggar, G. | Leonard, W. | Strauss, G. R. (Lambeth, N.) |
| Davidson, J. J. (Maryhill) | Leslie, J. R. | Taylor, R. J. (Morpeth) |
| Davies, R. J. (Westhoughton) | Logan, D. G. | Thorne, W. |
| Davies, S. O. (Merthyr) | Lunn, W. | Thurtle, E. |
| Day, H. | Macdonald, G. (Ince) | Tinker, J. J. |
| Dobbie, W. | McEntee, V. La T. | Viant, S. P. |
| Ede, J. C. | McGhee, H. G. | Walker, J. |
| Edwards, A. (Middlesbrough E.) | McGovern, J. | Wedgwood, Rt. Hon. J. C. |
| Edwards, Sir C. (Bedwellty) | MacLaren, A. | Whiteley, W. |
| Fletcher, Lt.-Comdr. R. T. H. | Mainwaring, W. H. | Williams, E. J. (Ogmore) |
| Gallacher, W. | Maxton, J. | Wilson, C. H. (Attercliffe) |
| Gardner, B. W. | Montague, F. | Young, Sir R. (Newton) |
| Garro Jones, G. M. | Morrison, R. C. (Tottenham, N.) | |
| Gibson, R. (Greenock) | Nathan, Colonel H. L. | TELLERS FOR THE NOES.— |
| Greenwood, Rt. Hon. A. | Paling, W. | Mr. Mathers and Mr. Groves. |
| Griffiths, G. A. (Hemsworth) | Parker, J. | |
The Opposition are the political parties in the House of Commons other than the largest or Government party. They are called the Opposition because they sit on the benches opposite the Government in the House of Commons Chamber. The largest of the Opposition parties is known as Her Majesty's Opposition. The role of the Official Opposition is to question and scrutinise the work of Government. The Opposition often votes against the Government. In a sense the Official Opposition is the "Government in waiting".
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.
