– in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 12 August 1947.
Mr Anthony Eden
, Warwick and Leamington
12:00,
12 August 1947
May I ask the Leader of the House whether he has any statement to make about the Business tomorrow?
Mr Herbert Morrison
, Lewisham East
Yes, Sir. As I have already informed the House, it is proposed to meet tomorrow at 11 a.m., and after Questions we shall take the Motion to fix the dates of the Summer Recess. We shall ask the House to consider, during the course of tomorrow's Sitting, any Amendments to Bills, including the Supplies and Services (Extended Purposes) Bill, which may be received from Another place. This may mean an interruption, at any time, of the Business then under discussion.
It is expected that Prorogation will take place on Monday, 20th October, and that the new Session will be opened on Tuesday, 21st October. As the House is aware, 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 considered necessary in the public interest.
Lord William Scott
, Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire
Is the Leader of the House in a position to make any statement on the renewal, or against the renewal, of Summer Time when it expires on 2nd November?
Mr Herbert Morrison
, Lewisham East
I understand that a statement on that was made by the Home Secretary or the Prime Minister some time ago. That statement still stands.
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.
A proposal for new legislation that is debated by Parliament.
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
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.
