Oral Answers to Questions — National Finance – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 18 February 1954.
Mr Marcus Lipton
, Lambeth Brixton
12:00,
18 February 1954
asked the Chancellor of the exchequer how much it cost to print and distribute "Broadsheet on Britain No. 32"prepared by the Information Division of the Treasury; and to whom it was distributed.
Mr John Boyd-Carpenter
, Kingston upon Thames
The cost of printing was £199 3s. 6d. and of distribution about £21 2s. It was distributed as usual to some 90 trade unions, to foremen, and others in industry, and to adult education, citizenship and other voluntary organisations. Additional copies were supplied on request to agricultural organisations.
Mr Marcus Lipton
, Lambeth Brixton
Was it really worth incurring even this comparatively small expenditure for the purpose of conveying such piffling platitudes as, "From the soil comes most of our food," "The cost of food affects us all," "We are all in it together," and so on?
Mr John Boyd-Carpenter
, Kingston upon Thames
The purpose of this publication, as of its predecessors in this series, which have continued for a good many years, was to underline the importance of agriculture to our national economy. I hope that the hon. and gallant Member does not dispute that that is desirable.
Mr Arthur Woodburn
, Clackmannan and East Stirlingshire
Is the Financial Secretary aware that the Prime Minister has made very pungent comment on platitudes?
Mr John Boyd-Carpenter
, Kingston upon Thames
I accept the first half of that supplementary question.
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.
The chancellor of the exchequer is the government's chief financial minister and as such is responsible for raising government revenue through taxation or borrowing and for controlling overall government spending.
The chancellor's plans for the economy are delivered to the House of Commons every year in the Budget speech.
The chancellor is the most senior figure at the Treasury, even though the prime minister holds an additional title of 'First Lord of the Treasury'. He normally resides at Number 11 Downing Street.
