Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 10 July 1947.
Mr Hugh Gaitskell
, Leeds South
12:00,
10 July 1947
This Branch is a part of the Health, Safety and Training Division of my Department and has a total staff of 19 apart from 10 mines medical officers of whom the Chief and Deputy medical officers are at headquarters. In addition to inspectorial and advisory functions as regards first-aid and health requirements, undertaken by the medical officers, the duties cover broadly the formulation of policy and the fostering and development of measures for maintaining and improving the health and welfare of persons employed at coal mines and metalliferous mines and quarries, in conformity with my right hon. Friend's statutory responsibilities. Close liaison is maintained with the corresponding branch of the National Coal Board, whose interest is, of course, limited to the Board's duty towards persons in their own employment.
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.
