Oral Answers to Questions — Board of Trade – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 3 December 1964.
Mr Hector Hughes
, Aberdeen North
12:00,
3 December 1964
asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on his visit to the British Industrial Fair in Peking on 2nd November; and if he will detail the orders for British goods, and particularly Scottish goods, which will follow from the visit.
Mr Edward Redhead
, Walthamstow West
I refer my hon. Friend to the Answer my right hon. Friend gave in the House on 12th November to my hon. Friend the Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Arthur Lewis). Since that time I have heard of a certain number of contracts concluded and negotiations for others are understood to be in progress. I have not yet seen any reports of contracts concluded by Scottish firms.
Mr Hector Hughes
, Aberdeen North
While expressing appreciation of the enterprise of the President of the Board of Trade in undertaking this long and novel trip to develop new markets for British enterprise, may I ask my hon. Friend to particularise what goods the Chinese want that Scotland can supply and what orders are likely to emerge from the trip?
Mr Edward Redhead
, Walthamstow West
I am afraid that I cannot give itemised information in reply to my hon. and learned Friend's supplementary question, but very few Scottish firms applied for places at the exhibition. Had it been otherwise, perhaps he would have been better informed.
Mr Edward Du Cann
, Taunton
Can the hon. Gentleman give the assurance that the whole House would, I am sure, wish to have—that opportunities for increased trade with China, which many of us believe to be very great, will be prosecuted by the Government in association with private firms with vigour following plans laid by my right hon. Friend the Member for Bexley (Mr. Heath)?
Mr Edward Redhead
, Walthamstow West
Certainly, whatever opportunities occur will be pursued as vigorously in China as they are in all other markets, in accordance with the full intention of the Government.
Mr Jon Rankin
, Glasgow Govan
Although it may be the case, as my hon. Friend has said, that many Scottish firms did not apply for space at the exhibition, is he aware that Fairfield Shipbuilding Yard in Govan Division made strenuous efforts to embark on trade with China but with very little help from the previous Government when they were in power?
Mr Robin Maxwell-Hyslop
, Tiverton
Would the Minister of State ensure that the Chinese are aware that we do not need one single egg from them and that our own domestic production is now at such a level that any increase in trade which depends on Chinese eggs coming into this country is quite unwelcome?
Mr Edward Redhead
, Walthamstow West
I find it difficult to relate that supplementary question to the Question, but the hon. Gentleman might note that there is a later Question on the subject of eggs.
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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.
