Oral Answers to Questions — Civil Defence. – in the House of Commons at on 16 October 1941.
Colonel Josiah Wedgwood
, Newcastle-under-Lyme
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the commandant of the Fascist internment camp in the Isle of Man has been changed; whether the free unlimited entry of food and drink has been restored; whether the police replace the military or are supplementary; and what is the weekly cost per head to the British taxpayer for housing, feeding and guarding these interned British subjects?
Mr Herbert Morrison
, Hackney South
The internal administration of the camp at Peel has now been taken over by the Metropolitan Police, with the consequence that the former military Commander has been released for other duties, but a military guard outside the Peel Camp is being retained. As regards the entry of food, this is subject to the restrictions explained in my answer to the hon. Member for the Rusholme Division (Mr. Radford) on 2nd instant. Drink cannot be sent in to any detainee, but beer can be purchased from the canteen in the camp. The average daily consumption per head does not exceed a quarter of a pint, and there is no ground for any suggestion of excessive drinking. I regret that it is not possible to give precise figures of weekly cost such as my right hon. Friend desires.
Colonel Josiah Wedgwood
, Newcastle-under-Lyme
Now that the Home Office have taken over this particular camp, is there any prospect of their taking over the other camps in which friendly aliens are interned?
Mr Herbert Morrison
, Hackney South
I think the right hon. Gentleman is under a misapprehension. All these camps are under the jurisdiction of the Home Office, but we use the military for the purpose of giving general assistance outside the camps, and I do not think it is necessary to take further action.
Colonel Josiah Wedgwood
, Newcastle-under-Lyme
Are the Commandants of other camps military officers or your officials?
Mr Herbert Morrison
, Hackney South
Speaking from recollection, I believe they are my officials.
Mr Richard Stokes
, Ipswich
asked the Home Secretary how many of the 700 odd persons, detained in the Isle of Man camp at which a disturbance recently occurred, were members of the British Union of Fascists; and how many of the persons transferred, prior to 8th October, as a result to prison in this country, were members of that organisation?
Mr Herbert Morrison
, Hackney South
The number of detainees in this camp was 520, of whom 180 were former members of the British Union. Of the 18 persons removed to prison after the disturbance, 14 belonged to that organisation.
Mr Richard Stokes
, Ipswich
Is the Minister able to say whether the disturbance was largely the responsibility of one section of those in the camp, or was it of a general nature?
Mr Herbert Morrison
, Hackney South
I do not think everybody took part in the disturbances, but a substantial number did, and owing to the fact that it was dark, we could not see the political colours of all of them. The facts which I have given are reliable, and my hon. Friend can draw his own deductions from them.
Mr Richard Stokes
, Ipswich
asked the Home Secretary how many of the three men who escaped from the Isle of Man internment camp were members of the Irish Republican Army?
Mr Herbert Morrison
, Hackney South
Two of the men who are at present awaiting trial have stated in court that they were members of the Irish Republican Army.
Mr Richard Stokes
, Ipswich
Will the Minister consider the possibility of returning them to their own country, where large numbers of. men of that Army are already under detention?
Mr Herbert Morrison
, Hackney South
There are arguments both ways on that point, and I should not like to commit myself.
Mr John Leslie
, Sedgefield
Is it not the case that while they may be members of the Irish Republican Army, they may also be Fascists?
Mr Herbert Morrison
, Hackney South
It might be so.
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 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.
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.
