Oral Answers to Questions — Home Department – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 4 June 1964.
Mr Willie Hamilton
, Fife West
12:00,
4 June 1964
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of widespread dissatisfaction with the present state of the electoral law, he will initiate all-party discussions with a view to possible amendments.
Mr Christopher Woodhouse
, Oxford
My right hon. Friend has no evidence of widespread dissatisfaction, but he is considering certain proposals for electoral reform put forward by the parties and from other sources.
Mr Willie Hamilton
, Fife West
Is the hon Gentleman aware that the provisions of the law as far as expenses are concerned are being deliberately flouted by the Tory Party, that the 1949 Act never intended that colossal sums of money should be spent in the way that they are being spent by the party opposite in the months preceding an election, and that action should be taken to stop this abuse of a democratic process?
Mr Christopher Woodhouse
, Oxford
I expected that the hon. Gentleman had some grievance on his mind, but I would remind him that it is the traditional practice that the electoral law should not be amended in the closing stages of a Parliament. I have given an indication that the whole subject is under review for action in the next Parliament.
Sir Knox Cunningham
, South Antrim
Would my hon. Friend, in order to avoid what is in practice a restriction of the franchise, consider giving postal votes to those away on holiday?
Mr Christopher Woodhouse
, Oxford
This is the subject of a Private Member's Bill which is now before the House and I do not think it is a matter that can be dealt with by way of Question and Answer now.
Sir Eric Fletcher
, Islington East
May we take it, with regard to that Measure as well, that the Minister agrees that there should be no change in the electoral law in any respect in the closing stages of a Parliament?
Mr Christopher Woodhouse
, Oxford
I think that I have already made that clear.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
The political party system in the English-speaking world evolved in the 17th century, during the fight over the ascension of James the Second to the Throne. James was a Catholic and a Stuart. Those who argued for Parliamentary supremacy were called Whigs, after a Scottish word whiggamore, meaning "horse-driver," applied to Protestant rebels. It was meant as an insult.
They were opposed by Tories, from the Irish word toraidhe (literally, "pursuer," but commonly applied to highwaymen and cow thieves). It was used — obviously derisively — to refer to those who supported the Crown.
By the mid 1700s, the words Tory and Whig were commonly used to describe two political groupings. Tories supported the Church of England, the Crown, and the country gentry, while Whigs supported the rights of religious dissent and the rising industrial bourgeoisie. In the 19th century, Whigs became Liberals; Tories became Conservatives.
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.
