– in the House of Commons at 2:00 pm on 25 November 2009.
Mark Harper
Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
2:00,
25 November 2009
On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. I have given Mr. Speaker and the Leader of the House notice of my point of order. I wonder whether I might inquire into whether there is anything that you can do to ensure that we get proper debate on the Equality Bill. You will know that it is a Bill of 205 clauses and 28 schedules, with 34 new clauses, two new schedules and 52 amendments tabled already, and we have not yet seen any Government amendments or new clauses. The Leader of the House has given two clear assurances at the Dispatch Box that she would not only discuss the timetabling of the Bill with Opposition Front Benchers, but ensure that the handling of the Bill on Report would be such that the Bill would be an exemplar. So far she has not engaged with Opposition Front Benchers about timetabling, and if we have only one day on Report, the only example that the Bill will set will be a poor one. What can you do, Madam Deputy Speaker, to ensure that we get proper debate on that matter?
Sylvia Heal
Deputy Speaker
I thank the hon. Gentleman for giving Mr. Speaker notice of his point of order. However, he will not be surprised to hear that it is not a point of order for the Chair. None the less, his comments are on the record and they will have been heard by those on the Treasury Bench. Tomorrow is business questions, when I have no doubt that he will have an opportunity to put his question to the Leader of the House.
If you've ever seen inside the Commons, you'll notice a large table in the middle - upon this table is a box, known as the dispatch box. When members of the Cabinet or Shadow Cabinet address the house, they speak from the dispatch box. There is a dispatch box for the government and for the opposition. Ministers and Shadow Ministers speak to the house from these boxes.
The Deputy speaker is in charge of proceedings of the House of Commons in the absence of the Speaker.
The deputy speaker's formal title is Chairman of Ways and Means, one of whose functions is to preside over the House of Commons when it is in a Committee of the Whole House.
The deputy speaker also presides over the Budget.
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".
