– in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 12 March 1947.
Mr Arthur Lewis
, West Ham Upton
12:00,
12 March 1947
asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, if he will make a statement concerning the interview that took place between him and the National Delegation of Cyprus on 7th February, 1947, on the claim of the people of Cyprus to self-determination and union with Greece.
Major Ernest Bramall
, Bexley
asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what decision has been reached on the representations made by the Cypriot National Delegation in favour of the union of Cyprus with Greece.
Mr. Creech Jones:
On 7th February, I accorded an interview to a delegation from Cyprus headed by the Bishop of Paphos, who presented a memorial on the subject of the union of Cyprus with Greece. I reminded the delegation of my statement in reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Mile End (Mr. Piratin) on 11th December, to the effect that no change in the status of the island is contemplated by His Majesty's Government. I alluded further to the social and economic development programme of the island, involving substantial assistance from United Kingdom funds, and to the plans for the introduction of a more liberal constitution, which were outlined in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Taunton (Mr. Collins) on 23rd October last; and I expressed the hope of His Majesty's Government that the people of Cyprus would play their part in these beneficial developments. A written reply to the delegation's representations was subsequently addressed to them in similar terms To this I have nothing to add.
Major Ernest Bramall
, Bexley
Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind and bring to the consideration of the Cabinet the fact that this desire for union with Greece is so widespread in Cyprus that even Cypriot Socialists, who stand in very considerable personal danger from union with Greece, prefer to risk the consequences of that union rather than continue to be separated from their mother country?
Mr Richard Stokes
, Ipswich
Before my right hon. Friend replies, may I ask him if he is aware that probably the vast Majority of the inhabitants of that island prefer to remain as they are?
Sir Patrick Donner
, Basingstoke
Will the right hon. Gentleman reject this proposed union with Greece in unmistakable terms?
Mr Philip Piratin
, Stepney Mile End
May I ask the Minister if he is aware that 90 per cent. of the population of Cyprus is of Greek descent—
Mr Philip Piratin
, Stepney Mile End
I was asking the Minister, not the hon. Member for Ipswich (Mr. Stokes).
Mr Douglas Clifton Brown
, Hexham
The hon. Member for Mile End (Mr. Piratin) may not ask a question of a Private Member.
Mr Douglas Clifton Brown
, Hexham
The hon. Member seemed to me to be not asking for information, but giving it.
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 cabinet is the group of twenty or so (and no more than 22) senior government ministers who are responsible for running the departments of state and deciding government policy.
It is chaired by the prime minister.
The cabinet is bound by collective responsibility, which means that all its members must abide by and defend the decisions it takes, despite any private doubts that they might have.
Cabinet ministers are appointed by the prime minister and chosen from MPs or peers of the governing party.
However, during periods of national emergency, or when no single party gains a large enough majority to govern alone, coalition governments have been formed with cabinets containing members from more than one political party.
War cabinets have sometimes been formed with a much smaller membership than the full cabinet.
From time to time the prime minister will reorganise the cabinet in order to bring in new members, or to move existing members around. This reorganisation is known as a cabinet re-shuffle.
The cabinet normally meets once a week in the cabinet room at Downing Street.
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.
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.
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.
