– in the House of Commons at 4:38 pm on 27 July 1983.
Mr Bernard Weatherill
, Croydon North East
4:38,
27 July 1983
Mr. Gerald Kaufman, on a point of order.
Gerald Kaufman
, Manchester, Gorton
5:32,
27 July 1983
I raised a point of order immediately after Question Time and in deference to what you said, Mr. Speaker, about the wish of hon. Members to question Ministers on the various statements that have just been made, I did not pursue the matter. With your permission, I seek to pursue it now in the interests of the House of Commons.
We are about to go away for three months, but the Government have not yet satisfied the House on why they are not publishing the white paper on the rating system, which on 6 July the Secretary of State for the Environment specifically said would be published towards the end of this month. He has since made a statement referring the House to a statement that he made on 23 June, but presumably a 6 July statement supersedes a 23 June statement. On that occasion he was quite specific that he would publish the White Paper before the end of this month—in other words, before the end of this week.
Without some satisfactory statement from the Secretary of State, it is impossible for Opposition Members to lake a view other than that the right hon. Gentleman is delaying publication of the White Paper to avoid proper scrutiny and discussion by the House of Commons.
I raise this point of order because the interests of the House of Commons are at stake. The Secretary of State undertook to publish a White Paper this week. That undertaking will not be adhered to and, therefore, the interests of the House are at risk.
Mr Bernard Weatherill
, Croydon North East
The Secretary of State, who is present, is more able than I am to answer those questions, if he is prepared to do so.
Mr Patrick Jenkin
, Wanstead and Woodford
If you are satisfied, Mr. Speaker, that this is a point of order perhaps I can try to put the right hon. Gentleman's mind at rest.
In the Debate on the Address, I said:
I hope that we shall be able to do that before the end of July. If the House rises before the end of that month,"—
as is the case—
I cannot guarantee to publish it while the House is still sitting." — [Official Report, 23 June 1983; Vol. 44, c. 253.]
That has been our position throughout. I had hoped that we might be able to complete the various procedures to enable me to make a statement. The right hon. Gentleman will acknowledge that I do not have a reputation for running away from the House of Commons. We may be able to put the confidential final revised version in the hands of the press and the local authority associations on Monday, but even now I cannot guarantee it.
Failure to publish this week is in no sense a discourtesy to the House. The purpose of the white paper is to give the local authorities and those concerned with the future of the rating system a clear outline of how the Government intend to legislate. We shall not introduce the Bill until around, or even after, Christmas. The intention is that there should be a full period of consultation on the proposals in the White Paper before we give final instructions to the draftsmen.
Although it would have been convenient for the House to have had a first bite at the cherry had I made a statement on the White Paper, there will be ample opportunity for the House to express its views after we come back, and knowing the right hon. Gentleman as I do, I have no doubt that we shall also discuss this at considerable length when the Bill is introduced.
Gerald Kaufman
, Manchester, Gorton
I thank the Secretary of State for coming to the House, and I thank the Leader of the House for responding to my representations which resulted in the Secretary of State being here.
In view of what the right hon. Gentleman said, particularly about the Government's acceptance of the need for consultation and the involvement of this House in consultation—it was in the interests of the House that I raised this matter—may I, with your permission, Mr. Speaker, ask two questions?—[HON. MEMBERS: "No."]
Mr Bernard Weatherill
, Croydon North East
I allow the right hon. Gentleman to do so.
Gerald Kaufman
, Manchester, Gorton
As this is not a revelation of the contents of the white paper, what will the period of consultation be? Secondly, will the right hon. Gentleman give a commitment that the House of Commons will be part of that consultation and that it will be permitted to debate the matter before the legislation is drafted?
Mr Patrick Jenkin
, Wanstead and Woodford
I have never known right hon. and hon. Members to be slow in making their views known to Ministers on matters that closely affect their constituents. As to a debate, that must be a matter for my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal.
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
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
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.
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 debate on the Royal Address, or Queen's Speech, is the first major debate of any parliamentary session and lasts for five or six days.
It provides MPs and peers with an early opportunity to discuss the government's proposed programme for the year.
Debate begins after the Royal Address has been moved by two backbench government MPs. These speeches will be non-party political and humorous and each Member will talk mainly about their constituency.
The Leader of the Opposition then comments on the contents of the legislative programme, followed by the prime minister who defends the government's policies and proposals.
The Leader of the third major party, being at present the Liberal Democrats, then responds, after which backbenchers may speak. A similar pattern is followed in the Lords.
Traditionally, economic affairs are left until the last day, and the opening speech for the government on this day of the debate is made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
