– in the House of Commons at on 25 March 1943.
Mr Arthur Greenwood
, Wakefield
May I ask the Prime Minister to state the Business of the House for the next Series of Sittings?
Mr Winston Churchill
, Epping
The Business for the next Series of Sittings will be as follows:
First Sitting Day—Motions to approve the continuance in force of Proclamations made under the Government of India Act and the Governors' Allowances and Privileges (Amendment) Order. A Debate will take place on the general situation in India.
Second and Third Sitting Days—We shall continue and, we hope, complete the Committee stage of the Catering Wages Bill.
My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the exchequer will open his Budget on the first Sitting Day after 11th April. I give this information now for the convenience of the House and to give notice of the Government's intention to ask the House to sit on an additional day. We shall propose that the House should meet at a later hour than usual on Budget Day and that no Oral Questions should be taken, but the right of hon. Members to submit Private Notice Questions to Mr. Speaker will not be affected. This arrangement was found to be generally convenient to the House on previous occasions and to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who has special considerations to bear in mind on Budget Day.
Mr Cecil Poole
, Lichfield
May I ask the Prime Minister whether he can explain how it is that the Business of the House for the next Series of Sittings appears in one of the daily papers this morning, and is it not rather an affront to this House that this has been made available to the Press before it is made available to the House?
Mr Winston Churchill
, Epping
I have not seen anything of that.
Mr Cecil Poole
, Lichfield
It was in the "Telegraph."
Sir Douglas Hacking
, Chorley
May I ask whether there is likely to be a prolonged discussion on the first Order on the Paper for to-day—"War Damage (Amendment) Bill; Consideration of Lords Amendments"?
Mr Winston Churchill
, Epping
I understand that these Amendments to the War Damage (Amendment) Bill are purely of a drafting character.
Mr Aneurin Bevan
, Ebbw Vale
Has the right hon. Gentleman seen on the Order Paper the Motion on Workmen's Compensation in the names of a large number of hon. Members representing industrial constituencies, and will he consider giving an early date to a discussion of this Motion?
[That this House is of opinion that the scales of payment to injured workmen under the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1925, deny a reasonable standard of living to the injured workman and his dependants and delays his restoration to full industrial employment, and calls upon the Government to take steps to raise the rates provided for in the 1925 Act by 50 per cent., and to adjust the method of calculating pre-accident earnings so that the injured workmen may be compensated on an equitable basis]
Mr Winston Churchill
, Epping
This is a matter which will have to be arranged through the usual channels.
Mr James Maxton
, Glasgow Bridgeton
Is not the allotment of three days for the Committee stage on the Catering Wages Bill, which, after all, is a very minor Measure in these times, a somewhat lavish allowance of time; and is not the Prime Minister taking any steps to bring his followers more into conformity with the discipline of the House of Commons?
Mr Winston Churchill
, Epping
I think there is a certain amount of misunderstanding over this Measure. We all want to work together as much as possible while the war is going on, and I believe that full time for debate will give opportunities for smoothing out differences and divergencies, and, at any rate, it will allay that bitterness which might have arisen if it were thought that people had not an opportunity of stating their case.
Mr Ivor Thomas
, Keighley
Will the right hon. Gentleman find time very shortly for a Debate on the Motion on Sunday Stage Performances standing in the name of many hon. Members?
Mr Winston Churchill
, Epping
The House apparently does not wish it, but I was about to say that I regret that in the present state of Business, I see no possibility of offering time for a Debate on this Motion. Should there at any time appear to be a sufficient desire for such a Debate it might be that His Majesty's Government would leave the decision on principle to the judgment of the House.
Mr Ivor Thomas
, Keighley
Is it not a fact that a large number of Members have put their names to this Motion, and will the right hon. Gentleman not be deterred by those who are more vocal than reasoning?
Mr George Buchanan
, Glasgow Gorbals
Reverting to the question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Ebbw Vale (Mr. Bevan) on workmen's compensation, is the Prime Minister aware that great human considerations of a most urgent kind affecting working people are behind this? While allaying feeling on the Catering Wages Bill, which may be correct, would not the right hon. Gentleman also consider the deep feeling on this issue and from that point of view consider the provision of an early day for discussion of this matter?
Mr Winston Churchill
, Epping
In these matters the Government are largely in the hands of the House. I have no doubt that there is deep feeling. If it is of sufficient volume, no doubt it will find its outlet through the usual channels.
Sir Geoffrey Mander
, Wolverhampton East
Would the right hon. Gentleman be good enough to consider the possibility of suspending the Rule on one of the Sitting Days which have been allotted to the Catering Wages Bill?
Mr Denis Pritt
, Hammersmith North
Could the right hon. Gentleman tell us whether it would be possible to find time in the next series of Sittings to deal with the Prayer which stands on the Order Paper in the name of myself and my hon. Friend the Member for Nelson and Colne (Mr. Silverman)?
[That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty praying that the Order in Council dated 16 th December, 1942, made under the Emergency Powers Defence Acts, 1939 and 1940, amending Regulations 6A, 45A, 56AB, 6OAC, 62 and 70 of and adding Regulations 47D, 60DAA and 104A to, the Defence (General) Regulations, 1939, a copy of which was presented to this House on 19 th January, be annulled.]
Mr Winston Churchill
, Epping
A Prayer is exempted Business.
Mr Denis Pritt
, Hammersmith North
But I was asked through the usual channels to ask the right hon. Gentleman.
Sir D. Haeking:
Arising out of the Catering Wages Bill, will my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister accept my assurance that the right hon. Gentleman the Member for the Chorley Division of Lancashire is incapable of creating heat and bitterness in Debate, as suggested by him?
Mr Winston Churchill
, Epping
I certainly did not intend to hurt my right hon. Friend's feelings by a chance Supplementary. I deprecate bitterness and heat; I think we ought to try and get rid of that. I hope that by a little fair debate and interchange of views this matter may achieve its essentials without leaving behind any bitterness.
Mr Edgar Granville
, Eye
In view of the fact that we were promised a whole day on the Air Estimates Debate for a discussion on civil aviation, and now that the white paper on the relationship between the British Airways Corporation and the Royal Air Force Transport Command has been issued, will the right hon. Gentleman consider giving us an early day for a full discussion of this subject?
Mr Winston Churchill
, Epping
Yes, Sir, but it will have to be a little later.
Mr Aneurin Bevan
, Ebbw Vale
On a point of Order, In view of the fact that there is a large number of questions that Members of the House wish to discuss, will the Prime Minister consider giving us an extra Sitting Day?
Mr Winston Churchill
, Epping
We have not reached the point where we shall have to consider sitting an additional day.
The chancellor of the exchequer is the government's chief financial minister and as such is responsible for raising government revenue through taxation or borrowing and for controlling overall government spending.
The chancellor's plans for the economy are delivered to the House of Commons every year in the Budget speech.
The chancellor is the most senior figure at the Treasury, even though the prime minister holds an additional title of 'First Lord of the Treasury'. He normally resides at Number 11 Downing Street.
As a bill passes through Parliament, MPs and peers may suggest amendments - or changes - which they believe will improve the quality of the legislation.
Many hundreds of amendments are proposed by members to major bills as they pass through committee stage, report stage and third reading in both Houses of Parliament.
In the end only a handful of amendments will be incorporated into any bill.
The Speaker - or the chairman in the case of standing committees - has the power to select which amendments should be debated.
The Chancellor - also known as "Chancellor of the Exchequer" is responsible as a Minister for the treasury, and for the country's economy. For Example, the Chancellor set taxes and tax rates. The Chancellor is the only MP allowed to drink Alcohol in the House of Commons; s/he is permitted an alcoholic drink while delivering the budget.
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.
The order paper is issued daily and lists the business which will be dealt with during that day's sitting of the House of Commons.
It provides MPs with details of what will be happening in the House throughout the day.
It also gives details of when and where the standing committees and select committees of the Commons will be meeting.
Written questions tabled to ministers by MPs on the previous day are listed at the back of the order paper.
The order paper forms one section of the daily vote bundle and is issued by the Vote Office
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 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.
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
