– in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 14 October 1969.
Mr Raphael Tuck
, Watford
12:00,
14 October 1969
I beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House, under Standing Order No. 9, for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that should have urgent public consideration, namely,
the impending closure of the Handley Page factory in Hertfordshire".
This matter is specific because 500 men have just received redundancy notices and a further 4,200 are due to receive them. It is important for three reasons. The first concerns the defence of the Realm. Our whole fleet of Victor bombers was built by Handley Page and it is a requirement of the Royal Air Force that these bombers be converted into tanker aircraft. The development work on this is lodged with Handley Page and if the factory were closed down and the work given to another company, the cost to public funds would be much greater—about an extra £10 million.
It is also important for the export potential. Jetstream aircraft are being built, many of them for the United States, possibly to the value of about£100 million. If the firm closed down, we would, therefore, lose dollar exports.
Thirdly, it is important because, if this factory is closed down, the men will be redundant, and redundancy payments will fall on the Government to the tune of about £1½ million. It is urgent because, unless the Government step in and save the company, the results which I have outlined will ensue and, in my submission, Parliament should be given the opportunity, before the axe falls, of discussing this issue.
The factory is just over the borders of Watford in the Constituency of the hon. Member for Hertfordshire, South-West (Mr. Longden), but he is at present in the United States. I have, as a matter of courtesy, mentioned the matter to the Opposition Chief Whip, who has considered it and who understands my reasons for bringing the matter forward urgently.
Dr Horace King
, Southampton, Itchen
The hon. Gentleman the Member for Watford (Mr. Raphael Tuck) was courteous enough to inform me that he would make an application under Standing Order No. 9. The hon. Gentleman asks leave to move the Adjournment of the House under Standing Order No. 9 for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that he thinks should have urgent consideration, namely,
the impending closure of the Handley Page factory in Hertfordshire".
As the House knows, under revised Standing Order No. 9, Mr. Speaker is directed to take into account the several factors set out in the Standing Order, but to give no reasons for his decision.
I have listened carefully to what the hon. Member has said, but I have to rule that his submission does not fall within the provisions of the revised Standing Order, and, therefore, I cannot submit his application to the House.
An adjournment is a break in the course of parliamentary business.
The House adjourns at the end of each day's business.
On a daily basis the House adjourns, or breaks, half an hour after the moving of the adjournment debate.
The House is also adjourned for several holiday periods during the session.
The more lengthy adjournments - often coinciding with the academic calendar - are known as recesses.
The government chief whip, whose official title is parliamentary secretary to the Treasury, is appointed by the prime minister and is responsible to him.
The chief whip has to maintain party discipline and to try to ensure that members of the party vote with the government in important debates.
Along with the other party whips he or she looks after the day-to-day management of the government's business in Parliament.
The chief whip is a member of the Cabinet.
It is customary for both the government and the opposition chief whips not to take part in parliamentary debates.
The chief whip's official residence is Number 12 Downing Street.
The Opposition are the political parties in the House of Commons other than the largest or Government party. They are called the Opposition because they sit on the benches opposite the Government in the House of Commons Chamber. The largest of the Opposition parties is known as Her Majesty's Opposition. The role of the Official Opposition is to question and scrutinise the work of Government. The Opposition often votes against the Government. In a sense the Official Opposition is the "Government in waiting".
In a general election, each Constituency chooses an MP to represent them. MPs have a responsibility to represnt the views of the Constituency in the House of Commons. There are 650 Constituencies, and thus 650 MPs. A citizen of a Constituency is known as a Constituent
The Speaker is an MP who has been elected to act as Chairman during debates in the House of Commons. He or she is responsible for ensuring that the rules laid down by the House for the carrying out of its business are observed. It is the Speaker who calls MPs to speak, and maintains order in the House. He or she acts as the House's representative in its relations with outside bodies and the other elements of Parliament such as the Lords and the Monarch. The Speaker is also responsible for protecting the interests of minorities in the House. He or she must ensure that the holders of an opinion, however unpopular, are allowed to put across their view without undue obstruction. It is also the Speaker who reprimands, on behalf of the House, an MP brought to the Bar of the House. In the case of disobedience the Speaker can 'name' an MP which results in their suspension from the House for a period. The Speaker must be impartial in all matters. He or she is elected by MPs in the House of Commons but then ceases to be involved in party politics. All sides in the House rely on the Speaker's disinterest. Even after retirement a former Speaker will not take part in political issues. Taking on the office means losing close contact with old colleagues and keeping apart from all groups and interests, even avoiding using the House of Commons dining rooms or bars. The Speaker continues as a Member of Parliament dealing with constituent's letters and problems. By tradition other candidates from the major parties do not contest the Speaker's seat at a General Election. The Speakership dates back to 1377 when Sir Thomas Hungerford was appointed to the role. The title Speaker comes from the fact that the Speaker was the official spokesman of the House of Commons to the Monarch. In the early years of the office, several Speakers suffered violent deaths when they presented unwelcome news to the King. Further information can be obtained from factsheet M2 on the UK Parliament website.
