Oral Answers to Questions — Trade and Industry – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 10 December 1973.
Mr Robert Redmond
, Bolton West
12:00,
10 December 1973
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many persons are employed in the small firms Division of his Department.
Mr Christopher Chataway
, Chichester
Twenty-six. The staff of the small firms information centres—30 in all—are on the strength of the Department's regional offices.
Mr Robert Redmond
, Bolton West
Will some of these people go to Bolton to advise and help some of the small firms which have been writing to me over the past eight or nine months about the total absence of supplies of wood, steel, phenol, Polythene and, now, textiles fibres and yarns? Also, while they are there will they examine another problem which I have raised on other occasions in the House, namely, the anxiety of these firms and some of their suppliers, who say that they must not in any circumstances disclose their names for fear of victimisation by other suppliers or by one of the nationalised corporations?
Mr Christopher Chataway
, Chichester
On the last point, if I understand my hon. Friend aright, I am satisfied that there is no discrimination against small firms on the part of the British Steel Corporation. As regards supplies of steel and other materials, the small firms information centres can put small firms in touch with those who can give them expert advice.
Alan Williams
, Swansea West
Will the Minister bear in mind that many small firms feel that they are swamped by the administrative expenses of VAT? Does he recognise that with the present and probable future rate of inflation many small firms which are not now covered by VAT will be drawn within the net, and for this reason will the Government alter the threshold figure? Second, how will the Department protect small firms from the EEC proposal, already adopted by the Commission, which, far from raising the threshold figure, would actually lower it?
Mr Christopher Chataway
, Chichester
I shall certainly bear in mind the effect on small firms of any proposal on the scope of VAT, but I must say that I do not find among small firms any hankering after SET.
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.
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 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.
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.
