Oral Answers to Questions — Military Service. – in the House of Commons at on 16 January 1940.
Mr. Vyvyan Adams:
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now undertake to re-introduce summer-time by 14th February?
Sir John Anderson
, Combined Scottish Universities
No, Sir. There would be strong objections from the point of view of agriculture to re-introducing summer-time so soon as the middle of February—particularly in Scotland, where the sun rises later than it does in the south. I have held numerous consultations with a view to determining the most convenient date having regard to the interests affected, and an announcement of the final decision will be made at an early date.
Mr. Adams:
Can my right hon. Friend say when that date will be given? Will he remember that although the agricultural community is a vast interest it does not represent the Majority of the country, and further remember the enormous number of casualties that have occurred during the black-out hours?
Mr Frederick Macquisten
, Argyll
Is my right hon. Friend also aware that, during the period of summer-time, cows yield 20 to 25 per cent. less milk?
Reverend James Barr
, Coatbridge
Will the right hon. Gentleman remember that in the North of Scotland the sun never sets during a large period of the year?
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
The term "majority" is used in two ways in Parliament. Firstly a Government cannot operate effectively unless it can command a majority in the House of Commons - a majority means winning more than 50% of the votes in a division. Should a Government fail to hold the confidence of the House, it has to hold a General Election. Secondly the term can also be used in an election, where it refers to the margin which the candidate with the most votes has over the candidate coming second. To win a seat a candidate need only have a majority of 1.
