Oral Answers to Questions — House of Commons – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 17 December 1973.
Mr Arthur Lewis
, West Ham North
12:00,
17 December 1973
asked the Lord President of the Council whether he is aware that Members attending the European Assembly are paid, in addition to their £25 a day attendance allowance, a £10 travel allowance in excess of their actual costs incurred; and whether he will propose that all Members should be paid on this basis.
Mr James Prior
, Lowestoft
The rates of travel allowances for attendance at the European Assembly are a matter for that Assembly. I understand, however, that this allowance is based on the distance travelled.
Mr Arthur Lewis
, West Ham North
Will the right hon. Gentleman investigate a report in the Observer yesterday that a group of City financiers and bankers were addressed by the Secretary of State for Defence in order to raise money from the banking houses in the City to pay the expenses of Tory Ministers and Tory back-benchers who go to the European Assembly? If that is true—and the report says that Government facilities were provided—many of us on this side of the House think it disgraceful that City financiers should have been called together and asked to pay the expenses of a selected few Members who are getting per day, tax free, more than the miners get in a week.
Mr James Prior
, Lowestoft
It would be much more appropriate if hon. Members on both sides of the House went to the European Assembly and their expenses were properly covered from this House.
Dennis Skinner
, Bolsover
Is the Minister aware that when these City people met last week and were addressed by the Secretary of State for Defence on the question of raising funds to assist those Conservative, Liberal and other assorted Members of Parliament who attend the European Assembly—
Mr John Pardoe
, North Cornwall
Withdraw.
Mr Selwyn Lloyd
, Wirral
If the hon. Member wishes to raise a matter of privilege, he must do it at the proper time and in the proper way.
Mr James Prior
, Lowestoft
Perhaps I should start by congratulating the right hon. Gentleman on his new Parliamentary Private Secretary. I gather that, as usual, the hon. Gentleman has not got his facts right.
Dennis Skinner
, Bolsover
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Is it not the convention to introduce questions on breach of privilege immediately they are discovered or made clear to Members of Parliament?
Mr Selwyn Lloyd
, Wirral
Order. May I help the hon. Member? If he wishes to raise a matter of privilege, he may do so after the statement.
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 political party system in the English-speaking world evolved in the 17th century, during the fight over the ascension of James the Second to the Throne. James was a Catholic and a Stuart. Those who argued for Parliamentary supremacy were called Whigs, after a Scottish word whiggamore, meaning "horse-driver," applied to Protestant rebels. It was meant as an insult.
They were opposed by Tories, from the Irish word toraidhe (literally, "pursuer," but commonly applied to highwaymen and cow thieves). It was used — obviously derisively — to refer to those who supported the Crown.
By the mid 1700s, the words Tory and Whig were commonly used to describe two political groupings. Tories supported the Church of England, the Crown, and the country gentry, while Whigs supported the rights of religious dissent and the rising industrial bourgeoisie. In the 19th century, Whigs became Liberals; Tories became Conservatives.
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.
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.
