Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Defence – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 12 February 2001.
Michael Martin
Speaker of the House of Commons
12:00,
12 February 2001
Order. When Members on the Opposition front bench ask a question, I expect them to allow an answer to be made.
The first bench on either side of the House of Commons, reserved for ministers and leaders of the principal political parties.
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".
