Oral Answers to Questions — Science – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 28 January 1964.
Mr Hector Hughes
, Aberdeen North
12:00,
28 January 1964
asked the Lord President of the Council and Minister for Science if he will state the scope and terms of reference of the British Ship Research Association; how its work is co-ordinated with the work of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research; and when a detailed report on the activities of these two bodies will be publicly available.
Mr Quintin Hogg
, St Marylebone
The Ship Research Association is an autonomous co-operative body, financially assisted by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, formed to promote research and scientific work relating to shipbuilding, marine engineering and the operation of ships. The work of the Association and related work in the Department is co-ordinated through advisory committees and joint projects. A report of the work of the Ship Division, National Physical Laboratory, is published annually in the Report of that Laboratory.
Some account of the work of the Association will appear in the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research publication Research for Industry, 1963. The Association itself contributes regularly to the technical press.
Mr Hector Hughes
, Aberdeen North
I thank the right hon. and learned Gentleman for that rather elaborate reply, but does he realise that the two bodies mentioned in my Question seem to be paying more attention to the southern seas—for instance, the Indian Ocean—rather than to the northern seas, where most British shipping Operates and most British fishing is done? Will he take steps to see that more attention is paid to the northern seas, particularly around Britain, with a view to helping our shipping and fishing?
Mr Quintin Hogg
, St Marylebone
I apologise for the length of my Answer, but it was occasioned by the length of the hon. and learned Gentleman's Question. As regards his supplementary question, I certainly am anxious that attention should be paid to the matters he mentions, but the Ship Research Association is, of course, concerned with ships rather than waters.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
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.
