Mr Bernard Weatherill
, Croydon North East
12:00,
27 July 1983
As the House knows, there are no fewer than four statements to be made this afternoon, all of which are of great importance. I ask right hon. and hon. Members to be brief with their supplementary questions, please, and perhaps the front bench spokesmen would also help in this regard.
Gerald Kaufman
, Manchester, Gorton
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. It is directly related to the fact that the Secretary of State for Scotland is to make a statement. I have no idea of the contents of the statement, and no doubt my right hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Govan (Mr. Millan) will have his views on it. However, the Secretary of State is to make a statement on local government finance in Scotland.
What can you, Mr. Speaker, do to protect the House in relation to local government finance for England? The Secretary of State for the Environment promised the House that this month he would publish a white paper on the rating system, but we now understand that he does not intend to publish that statement until the House is in recess, and that he does not intend either to publish the spending ceilings for English local authorites until the House is in recess, when Members of Parliament will no longer be able to question him and hold him to account.
As we are to get a statement from the Secretary of State for Scotland, what can you do, Mr. Speaker, to prevent this Administration, and in particular the Secretary of State for the Environment, from abusing the House of Commons and Parliament by withholding a White Paper and information on spending which is in their possession, which has been prepared, which could be made available, and which could be the subject of a statement, but which is deliberately being withheld, to the abuse of the House of Commons?
Mr Bernard Weatherill
, Croydon North East
I have no knowledge whether the white paper is ready. I was in the Chair and I heard the Secretary of State say that a White Paper would be published this month and I imagine that that is the fact. As to the Scottish statement, there are many hon. Members in the House who would wish to hear it.
The first bench on either side of the House of Commons, reserved for ministers and leaders of the principal political parties.
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.
A document issued by the Government laying out its policy, or proposed policy, on a topic of current concern.Although a white paper may occasion consultation as to the details of new legislation, it does signify a clear intention on the part of a government to pass new law. This is a contrast with green papers, which are issued less frequently, are more open-ended and may merely propose a strategy to be implemented in the details of other legislation.
More from wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_paper
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.
