– in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 29 November 1973.
Mr Norman Tebbit
, Epping
12:00,
29 November 1973
asked the Prime Minister how many radio and television broadcasts he has made during the present Session of Parliament.
Mr Edward Heath
, Bexley
Two, Sir.
Mr Norman Tebbit
, Epping
Is my right hon. Friend aware that I would not want him to get into a position where he might be accused of emotionalism in discussing possible political bias, as seems to be the case with the Leader of the Opposition? Will he discuss with members of the staff of both the BBC and ITN the difference in the extent of the coverage of the unhappy case of Mr. Niesewand and of the equally unhappy case of Mr. Cleaver, since one seems to have been given a great deal more coverage than the other?
Mr Edward Heath
, Bexley
I have noted my hon. Friend's point. This matter is the responsibility of the Governors of the BBC.
Sir John Morris
, Aberavon
Will the right hon. Gentleman consider making a television broadcast to defend and explain his current policy of exporting helicopters to South Africa from the so-called closed-down Westland production line? Will he say whether he approves of the proposed increase in the number of joint exercises with the South African Navy? Will he also ask that his broadcast be relayed to the Commonwealth?
Mr Edward Heath
, Bexley
Such facilities are not required because the Government's policy on this matter has been constantly stated in the House and is well known.
Mr Raymond Carter
, Birmingham, Northfield
asked the Prime Minister how many official broadcasts he has made in 1973.
Mr Edward Heath
, Bexley
Seventeen, Sir.
Mr Raymond Carter
, Birmingham, Northfield
Would the right hon. Gentleman care to make one more broadcast and explain how it is that we now face a strife-torn winter over a prices and incomes policy which he said when in Opposition would come about only over his dead body?
Mr Edward Heath
, Bexley
I have not yet met any commentator, or anyone in this House, who has denied that the arrangements for stage 3 are the maximum which the economy can stand. If the hon. Gentleman is therefore suggesting that we should go wider, he can only be supporting the extension of inflation.
Peter Tapsell
, Horncastle
When my right hon. Friend next broadcasts to the country, will he try to explain to our people how it is that during the recent difficult days for our economy the only contribution the Opposition have been able to make is to have a well-publicised squabble within the Shadow Cabinet?
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.
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".
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 shadow cabinet is the name given to the group of senior members from the chief opposition party who would form the cabinet if they were to come to power after a General Election. Each member of the shadow cabinet is allocated responsibility for `shadowing' the work of one of the members of the real cabinet.
The Party Leader assigns specific portfolios according to the ability, seniority and popularity of the shadow cabinet's members.
