– in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 31 July 1947.
Mr Anthony Eden
, Warwick and Leamington
12:00,
31 July 1947
May I ask the Leader of the House to state the Business for next week?
Mr Herbert Morrison
, Lewisham East
Yes, Sir. The Business for next week will be as follows:
Monday, 4th August—Supply (20th allotted day); Report. Debate on Germany and Austria. At 9.30 p.m. the Report stage of all outstanding Votes will be put from the Chair. Committee and remaining stages of the Isle of Man (Customs) Bill. Motion to approve the Purchase Tax (Charges) (No. 2) Order. Consideration of Amendments to the Agriculture Bill, which are expected to be received from Another place today and of further Lords Amendments to the Transport Bill.
Tuesday, 5th August—Consideration of Amendments to the Electricity Bill and the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Bill, which are expected to be received from another place today.
Wednesday and Thursday, 6th and 7th August—All stages of the Consolidated Fund (Appropriation) Bill will be taken. A Debate will take place on the state of the nation.
On a convenient day my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister will propose a Motion of thanks to the Civil and Military Services of the Crown in India. During the week any outstanding Business will be taken as opportunity offers.
If all outstanding Business has been disposed of, it is hoped to adjourn for the Summer Recess on Friday, 8th August. It may be generally agreeable to suspend the Rule on that day in order to complete outstanding Business and allow time for the Adjournment Motion rather than to meet on Saturday, 9th August. I will make a further statement later.
We shall propose that the House do meet again on Monday, 20th October. It is expected that Prorogation will take place on that day and that the new Session will be opened on Tuesday, 21st October.
I would remind the House that power already exists for Mr. Speaker, on representations being made by the Government, to call the House together at an earlier date, if such a course should be necessary in the public interest.
Mr Anthony Eden
, Warwick and Leamington
May I ask the Leader of the House first of all, in regard to the question asked by my right hon. Friend the Member for West Bristol (Mr. Stanley) just now, whether he can make the necessary arrangements to allow us to have a discussion, as I think the House will agree we must do upon recent developments in Palestine before we adjourn? Perhaps how to arrange that time may be discussed through the usual channels.
Mr Herbert Morrison
, Lewisham East
Certainly discussions can proceed through the usual channels. We will see what can be done to agree. But I am bound to say that my own instinctive reaction—it is only an instinctive reaction—is that I am not sure that a Debate would be useful at this particular time.
Mr Anthony Eden
, Warwick and Leamington
I tell the right hon. Gentleman straight away that that would be absolutely unacceptable. It is quite unthinkable that this House should adjourn without a discussion of this matter in its true setting. If the right hon. Gentleman does not think that he can find facilities if it is discussed calmly through the usual channels, we would have to find some means even if it meant sitting on Saturday or some other day. I have one other question with regard to the Business on Wednesday and Thursday. So far as we are concerned, it would, I think, meet the general convenience if the Consolidated Fund (Appropriation) Bill were taken formally and if the Government would then move the Adjournment of the House for a Debate on the state of the nation, if that is agreeable.
Mr Herbert Morrison
, Lewisham East
That is all right by us, Sir.
Mr Edward Fleming
, Manchester, Withington
On a point of Order, Mr. Speaker. Are we to understand from the answer of the Leader of the House that the Debate will take place in the way the right hon. Gentleman asked?
Mr Douglas Clifton Brown
, Hexham
If the hon. and gallant Member would speak a little louder I might be able to hear what he says.
Mr Anthony Eden
, Warwick and Leamington
I have two other questions to ask the right hon. Gentleman about Business. First of all, I see that the Third Reading of the Agriculture Bill is being taken in Another place today and we are asked to consider the Lords Amendments next Monday. In view of this, can the right hon. Gentleman tell us at all when these Amendments will be available to hon. Members? As far as I can see they cannot be available until Saturday morning at the earliest. It seems hardly reason-able to ask us to debate them on Monday.
Mr Herbert Morrison
, Lewisham East
I am advised that arrangements are being made whereby the Amendments will be available to the House tomorrow.
Mr Anthony Eden
, Warwick and Leamington
With regard to the Lords Amendments to the Town and Country Planning Bill, as I understand it a new edition has now been produced or is about to be produced, though the Lords discussed the Bill some time ago. I understand that it is to be in the Vote Office today. We do not know whether it is available now. Oh, here it is—74 pages of Amendments made available today, to be discussed tomorrow. Does the right hon. Gentleman think that is treating the House seriously?
Mr Francis Bowles
, Nuneaton
Before my right hon. Friend replies, may I ask is this not a good argument for the immediate abolition of the House of Lords?
Mr Herbert Morrison
, Lewisham East
I am only the Leader of this House. I am very sorry that this should have occurred, but I am told that the great bulk of the Amendments are of a drafting character or are agreed and that the number of really contentious ones is limited, so that while I express my regret, I do not think it causes the House too much inconvenience.
Mr George Thomas
, Cardiff Central
In view of the dates which my right hon. Friend has given to the House—that Prorogation will take place the first day we return and that the new Session will start the next day—may I ask him whether it is proposed to do without the Welsh Day which was promised for this Session?
Mr Herbert Morrison
, Lewisham East
No, Sir We did give Welsh hon. Members an undertaking that there should be a Debate in the autumn and there will be, but it will have to be in the new Session. I submit that that does not make any material difference. The Debate will take place.
Mr David Kirkwood
, Dumbarton District of Burghs
Seeing that the Majority of the House have made up their minds that they are going to reject all these Amendments, is there any necessity for discussing them?
Mr Herbert Morrison
, Lewisham East
I follow the point of my hon. Friend, but he is a great admirer of the British Constitution and we must let this matter take its proper course.
Mr Anthony Eden
, Warwick and Leamington
May I be informed whether the Government have taken that decision, and, if so, cannot they just proceed with their rubber stamp?
Mr Herbert Morrison
, Lewisham East
I never said so. I was only being polite and friendly to my hon. Friend, which is wise on my part.
Captain Albert Blackburn
, Birmingham King's Norton
May I ask the Lord President of the Council whether he will place on record the fact that this House has sat for two years and has never yet debated the best use of our scientific resources and manpower?
Mr Herbert Morrison
, Lewisham East
That may be so—though I think the House has debated it. There was a long Adjournment Debate one day. I share my hon. Friend's wish that some day the Opposition may choose it for a Supply Debate.
Mr Cecil Poole
, Lichfield
May I ask the Leader of the House whether, in the discussions through the usual channels for Monday's Business, due recognition was taken of the fact that Monday's Debate on Germany and Austria must of necessity be carried on in a very unreal atmosphere, in view of the Business of the House for Wednesday and Thursday? Would it not be desirable to have further discussions through the usual channels with a view to selecting other Business for Monday, if possible, in view of the fact that we shall be debating Germany and Austria without this country's economic back-ground?
Mr Herbert Morrison
, Lewisham East
The choice of subjects of debate in Supply is the historic and constitutional right of the Opposition and I do not want to interfere with them about it.
Lieut-Colonel Sir Thomas Moore
, Ayr District of Burghs
As the Debate on Wednesday and Thursday may be, indeed, a "grand inquest," will the right hon. Gentleman consider suspending the Rule on Wednesday?
Mr Herbert Morrison
, Lewisham East
I should have thought that if we had two normal Parliamentary days, that would really be enough, and we have some other Business we must fit in. It will be a difficult week and, therefore, I think it would be difficult to suspend the Rule.
During a debate members of the House of Commons traditionally refer to the House of Lords as 'another place' or 'the other place'.
Peers return the gesture when they speak of the Commons in the same way.
This arcane form of address is something the Labour Government has been reviewing as part of its programme to modernise the Houses of Parliament.
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.
Prorogation takes the form of an announcement on behalf of the Queen by the Lord Chancellor in which he reviews the session's work.
Prorogation brings to an end parliamentary business for that sitting. There are some excpetions as to what Bills can be carried over to the next parliamentary session.
House of Parliament 'Major Parliamentary Occasions - http://www.parliament.uk/works/occasion.cfm#prorog
BBC News A-Z Parliament - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/a-z_of_parliament/p-q/82524.stm
An adjournment is a break in the course of parliamentary business.
The House adjourns at the end of each day's business.
On a daily basis the House adjourns, or breaks, half an hour after the moving of the adjournment debate.
The House is also adjourned for several holiday periods during the session.
The more lengthy adjournments - often coinciding with the academic calendar - are known as recesses.
The house of Lords is the upper chamber of the Houses of Parliament. It is filled with Lords (I.E. Lords, Dukes, Baron/esses, Earls, Marquis/esses, Viscounts, Count/esses, etc.) The Lords consider proposals from the EU or from the commons. They can then reject a bill, accept it, or make amendments. If a bill is rejected, the commons can send it back to the lords for re-discussion. The Lords cannot stop a bill for longer than one parliamentary session. If a bill is accepted, it is forwarded to the Queen, who will then sign it and make it law. If a bill is amended, the amended bill is sent back to the House of Commons for discussion.
The Lords are not elected; they are appointed. Lords can take a "whip", that is to say, they can choose a party to represent. Currently, most Peers are Conservative.
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.
An adjournment debate is a short half hour debate that is introduced by a backbencher at the end of each day's business in the House of Commons.
Adjournment debates are also held in the side chamber of Westminster Hall.
This technical procedure of debating a motion that the House should adjourn gives backbench members the opportunity to discuss issues of concern to them, and to have a minister respond to the points they raise.
The speaker holds a weekly ballot in order to decide which backbench members will get to choose the subject for each daily debate.
Backbenchers normally use this as an opportunity to debate issues related to their constituency.
An all-day adjournment debate is normally held on the final day before each parliamentary recess begins. On these occasions MPs do not have to give advance notice of the subjects which they intend to raise.
The leader of the House replies at the end of the debate to all of the issues raised.
The Opposition are the political parties in the House of Commons other than the largest or Government party. They are called the Opposition because they sit on the benches opposite the Government in the House of Commons Chamber. The largest of the Opposition parties is known as Her Majesty's Opposition. The role of the Official Opposition is to question and scrutinise the work of Government. The Opposition often votes against the Government. In a sense the Official Opposition is the "Government in waiting".
