– in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 30 October 1969.
Mr Edward Heath
, Bexley
12:00,
30 October 1969
May I ask the Leader of the House to state the business of the House for next week?
Mr Thomas Peart
, Workington
The business for next week will be as follows:
MONDAY, 3RD NOVEMBER.—The Debate on the Address in reply to the Gracious Speech will be continued on Monday, 3rd November, when, subject to the tabling and selection of Amendments, there will be a debate on the economic situation.
TUESDAY, 4TH NOVEMBER.—The debate on the Address will be brought to a conclusion on Tuesday, 4th November, when, subject to the tabling and selection of Amendments, there will be a debate on housing.
This will be followed by a Motion on the Assistance for House Purchase and Improvement (Increase of Subsidy) Order.
WEDNESDAY, 5TH NOVEMBER.—Second Reading of the Local Employment Bill and of the Expiring Laws Bill.
THURSDAY, 6TH NOVEMBER.—Second Reading of the Agriculture Bill.
FRIDAY, 7TH NOVEMBER.—Second Reading of the Insolvency Services (Accounting and Investment) Bill.
Motion on the National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) (Colliery Workers Supplementary Scheme) Amendment (No. 2) Order.
MONDAY, 10TH NOVEMBER.—Second Reading of the General Rate Bill. Motions on the Restriction of Merger Order and on the Milk Marketing 1933 Amendment Scheme.
Mr Edward Heath
, Bexley
Can the Leader of the House say when the Boundary Commission Orders will be taken so that we may have the last stage of this charade with the Government voting against them?
Mr Thomas Peart
, Workington
I hope they will be taken soon. In fact, I give that assurance.
Mr Ian Orr-Ewing
, Hendon North
Could the Leader of the House arrange for an early statement to be made to this House about the strike in Her Majesty's Stationery Office? HANSARD for 21st October, when there was a very important debate, is still not available. It is of very wide interest to industry since it was concerned with the new Ministry of Technology. In addition, today's Order Paper which should have been available early this morning only became available at 12 o'clock. How much longer is this going on? We cannot have our business made so inefficient and crippled in this manner.
Mr Thomas Peart
, Workington
I accept what the hon. Gentleman says and I recognise the difficulties. As the hon. Member knows, there is a go-slow in the St. Stephen's Press. We had produced an emergency Order Paper. The full Order Paper, I agree, was late today.
There is still the problem of that missing HANSARD. I shall convey the views of the House to my right hon. Friend, with whom I am in close touch on this matter. I will try to make an early statement.
Mr Willie Hamilton
, Fife West
Can my right hon. Friend say when he will be setting up again the Select Committee on the Declaration of Members' Interests? There is a great deal of urgency in this matter, which has increased in the last few weeks.
Mr Thomas Peart
, Workington
I hope to have the arrangements completed this week.
Mr Anthony Grant
, Harrow Central
Has the Leader of the House received any request from the Home Secretary to provide time to make a personal statement to correct the wildly misleading statements that he made in the House yesterday about Harrow Borough Council housing?
Mr Thomas Peart
, Workington
I know that there was a lot of controversy and argument in the debate, but I should not have thought that the controversy called for a special statement by the Home Secretary. The matter can still be raised in debate.
Miss Irene Ward
, Tynemouth
Has the right hon. Gentleman seen my Motions Nos. 3 and 4—
[That this House believes that the people of Great Britain require proper salaries and conditions of service for the nursing profession; requires the Secretary of State for Social Services to deal with this urgent matter without further delay; and urges that a statement as to the procedure to be adopted should be announced in the House of Commons on 30th October.]
[That, in the opinion of this House, the speech of Mr. Kenneth Adam, Governor of the British Film Institute, at the annual meeting of the Northern Arts Association on 25th October, discloses yet another discrimination against Tyneside infavour of the London National Film Theatre; conveys to Mr. Kenneth Adam its grateful appreciation that he is prepared to fight for the implementation of the proposed plan for the establishment of the purpose-built Tyneside Film Theatre with educational and socialfacilities; and that, in the opinion of this House, any essential economies should be borne by London and not by the North of England with its high level of unemployment.]
With regard to the nurses, could the right hon. Gentleman find out from the Government why they seem to be more interested in the conditions of those who strike than in the conditions of those who do not strike? The nurses would like to know when something is likely to be done about their salaries and conditions, in view of the fact that the whole of the country wants them to be properly treated.
Mr Thomas Peart
, Workington
I have carefully read the two Motions, one in connection with nursing staff and the other dealing with a super-film theatre at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. I am afraid that I cannot find time to debate these Motions, but the hon.Lady has properly conveyed her views and she will have opportunities to raise these matters again, probably on the Adjournment or on some such occasion.
Mr Robert Sheldon
, Ashton-under-Lyne
As the Ministry of Technology now embraces a number of other Ministries, will extra time be given for Questions concerning this Ministry?
Mr Thomas Peart
, Workington
The roster has been published for the next seven weeks. We have had discussions. If there is any difficulty because of the change of functions of Ministries, I shall look at the question quickly and, after discussions, suggest changes.
Mr Richard Sharples
, Sutton and Cheam
Further to the question put by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition, will the Leader of the House say when the Home Secretary intends to comply with the legal obligation to lay the Orders relating to the Boundary Commission's recommendations?
Mr Thomas Peart
, Workington
It was not a question of the Orders having to be laid but of Motions. I think that that is what the right hon. Gentleman was pressing me about.
Mr John Page
, Harrow West
Is the Leader of the House aware that he was not correct in saying that it was merely a matter of argument yesterday between the Home Secretary and my right hon. and hon. Friends, but there was a direct attack on the Harrow Borough Council, giving entirely incorrect information—
Dr Horace King
, Southampton, Itchen
Order. This is the business Question Time. The hon. Gentleman must ask for time to discuss what he wishes to have discussed.
Mr John Page
, Harrow West
Does the Leader of the House realise that a statement is demanded and the matter cannot be brushed off as he has tried to brush it off?
Mr Thomas Peart
, Workington
I am not seeking to brush it off. I can understand the matter being raised by hon. Members. It did excite some controversy, but there was an opportunity then. Perhaps the hon. Gentleman did not catch Mr. Speaker's eye on that occasion, but there are opportunities. I cannot recommend a statement on it.
Sir Peter Emery
, Honiton
Will the Leader of the House consider further the matter of Questions to the Ministry of Technology. Since we now have a conglomerate structure in which Power, part of the D.E.A. and part of the old Board of Trade, Technology and all of industry are lumped together, without Division, will there not be a mess of Questions, with no centralised attention to any subject? Will the right hon. Gentleman give some thought to that aspect of the problem?
Mr Thomas Peart
, Workington
I shall. I thought that I gave a sympathetic answer. If I feel that it is not working, I shall, following discussions through the usual channels and with colleagues, have to make alterations.
Mr Robin Maxwell-Hyslop
, Tiverton
Has the right hon. Gentleman noticed the substantive Motion of censure on the Secretary of State for Education and Science, which appears as item No. 15 on the Order Paper today?
[That this House, noting that Parliament has given local education authorities discretion to determine the form of secondary education in the areas for which they are responsible, but that, nevertheless, the Secretary of State does not hesitate to endeavour by exhortation and circular to persuade them to adopt universally his predeliction for comprehensive secondary education, condemns as hypocritical and insincere his refusal to receive, at the request of the hon.Member for Tiverton, a deputation to discuss the supply of free milk to ratepayers' children at schools outside the state system, on the grounds that, Parliament have given authorities discretion in this matter and I am not prepared to interfere in their free exercise of this discretion, and censures him accordingly.]
Mr Thomas Peart
, Workington
I note the views of hon. Members. There will be opportunities. There are still opportunities in the Debate on the Address. Moreover, when my right hon. Friend presents his Bill on education, there will be further opportunities.
Mr Victor Goodhew
, St Albans
Could the Leader of the House arrange for the Secretary of State for Defence to make a statement next week on his decision to maintain a presence in South-East Asia, as disclosed in the statement by the High Commissioner in Malaysia recently?
Mr Thomas Peart
, Workington
I know that this matter has given rise to argument. I shall convey the hon. Gentleman's views to my right hon. Friend, but I cannot say next week.
Mr John Biggs-Davison
, Chigwell
Further to that question, perhaps we could have an answer to my hon. Friend's inquiry in the debate about to begin.
Mr Thomas Peart
, Workington
I was asked about time for a statement by the Secretary of State for Defence. I said that I should convey the hon. Gentleman's views—and that includes now the views of the hon. Member for Chigwell (Mr. Biggs-Davison)—but I can give no promise.
The debate on the Royal Address, or Queen's Speech, is the first major debate of any parliamentary session and lasts for five or six days.
It provides MPs and peers with an early opportunity to discuss the government's proposed programme for the year.
Debate begins after the Royal Address has been moved by two backbench government MPs. These speeches will be non-party political and humorous and each Member will talk mainly about their constituency.
The Leader of the Opposition then comments on the contents of the legislative programme, followed by the prime minister who defends the government's policies and proposals.
The Leader of the third major party, being at present the Liberal Democrats, then responds, after which backbenchers may speak. A similar pattern is followed in the Lords.
Traditionally, economic affairs are left until the last day, and the opening speech for the government on this day of the debate is made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The Second Reading is the most important stage for a Bill. It is when the main purpose of a Bill is discussed and voted on. If the Bill passes it moves on to the Committee Stage. Further information can be obtained from factsheet L1 on the UK Parliament website.
Laws are the rules by which a country is governed. Britain has a long history of law making and the laws of this country can be divided into three types:- 1) Statute Laws are the laws that have been made by Parliament. 2) Case Law is law that has been established from cases tried in the courts - the laws arise from test cases. The result of the test case creates a precedent on which future cases are judged. 3) Common Law is a part of English Law, which has not come from Parliament. It consists of rules of law which have developed from customs or judgements made in courts over hundreds of years. For example until 1861 Parliament had never passed a law saying that murder was an offence. From the earliest times courts had judged that murder was a crime so there was no need to make a law.
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Many hundreds of amendments are proposed by members to major bills as they pass through committee stage, report stage and third reading in both Houses of Parliament.
In the end only a handful of amendments will be incorporated into any bill.
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Written questions tabled to ministers by MPs on the previous day are listed at the back of the order paper.
The order paper forms one section of the daily vote bundle and is issued by the Vote Office
The House of Commons is one of the houses of parliament. Here, elected MPs (elected by the "commons", i.e. the people) debate. In modern times, nearly all power resides in this house. In the commons are 650 MPs, as well as a speaker and three deputy speakers.
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 "Leader of the Opposition" is head of "Her Majesty's Official Opposition". This position is taken by the Leader of the party with the 2nd largest number of MPs in the Commons.
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
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.
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.
