– in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 22 November 1973.
Mr Joe Ashton
, Bassetlaw
12:00,
22 November 1973
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. May I draw your attention to the answer to Question No. Q3, in which the Prime Minister intimated that he would not answer any more questions on the working of the Central Policy Review Staff? Over the last three years he has consistently narrowed the field in which he will accept Questions and on many occasions he has changed the practice of answering Questions. Is this one more step towards restricting the activities of back benchers in asking him Questions on this part of the Cabinet Secretariat?
Mr Selwyn Lloyd
, Wirral
I will read the OFFICIAL REPORT and consider the hon. Member's question to see whether it has anything to do with me.
Mr Edward Heath
, Bexley
Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. I did not say that I refused to answer Questions about the CPRS; I said that I would not announce in advance appointments of a particular kind.
Mr William Molloy
, Ealing North
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. There are back benchers on both sides who now know full well that there is a sense of frustration with the Clerks in the Table Office, who, when we table Questions, particularly to the Prime Minister, have to dig out all sorts of reasons why they cannot accept a Question that a Member puts down, because of the connivance of the staff at 10 Downing Street, probably on the instruction of the Prime Minister, to shield the right hon. Gentleman because he has not the courage to face the Questions that hon. Members wish to put down.
Mr Selwyn Lloyd
, Wirral
I said that I would examine the answer to see whether there was anything in this matter to do with me. I do not think that the situation is helped by that kind of insinuation.
The cabinet is the group of twenty or so (and no more than 22) senior government ministers who are responsible for running the departments of state and deciding government policy.
It is chaired by the prime minister.
The cabinet is bound by collective responsibility, which means that all its members must abide by and defend the decisions it takes, despite any private doubts that they might have.
Cabinet ministers are appointed by the prime minister and chosen from MPs or peers of the governing party.
However, during periods of national emergency, or when no single party gains a large enough majority to govern alone, coalition governments have been formed with cabinets containing members from more than one political party.
War cabinets have sometimes been formed with a much smaller membership than the full cabinet.
From time to time the prime minister will reorganise the cabinet in order to bring in new members, or to move existing members around. This reorganisation is known as a cabinet re-shuffle.
The cabinet normally meets once a week in the cabinet room at Downing Street.
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.
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.
