Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Ministry of Pensions – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 9 December 1947.
Mr George Buchanan
, Glasgow Gorbals
12:00,
9 December 1947
Since the Petition was presented, the claim that a flat rate pension should be granted to all parents who have suffered the loss of sons or daughters in the war was the subject of the Adjournment Debate in the House on 9th June, and both my predecessor and my Parliamentary Secretary have met representatives from the Next-of-Kin of War Deceased Organisation of Scotland and other organisations with similar aims. The Government, however, remain of the view that the present scheme, liberally interpreted, which takes account of need is preferable to a flat rate scheme which would ignore it.
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.
