Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 2:53 pm on 21 June 2005.
Lord Truscott
Labour
2:53,
21 June 2005
My Lords, does my noble friend agree that the recent regimental changes, supported by the army Board, the Chiefs of Staff and the overwhelming Majority of service personnel, will increase the number of battalions deployable for operations across the world? Given the point my noble friend made about the arms plot and the expansion in the size of regiments to two battalions or more, does he further agree that these changes will enhance the opportunities and the quality of life of Armed Forces personnel and their families?
The term "majority" is used in two ways in Parliament. Firstly a Government cannot operate effectively unless it can command a majority in the House of Commons - a majority means winning more than 50% of the votes in a division. Should a Government fail to hold the confidence of the House, it has to hold a General Election. Secondly the term can also be used in an election, where it refers to the margin which the candidate with the most votes has over the candidate coming second. To win a seat a candidate need only have a majority of 1.
