Oral Answers to Questions — Royal Air Force. – in the House of Commons am ar 25 Gorffennaf 1922.
Mr Frank Briant
, Lambeth North
asked the Home Secretary if his attention has been called to certain criticisms of the prison and Borstal system contained in a Report on prisons recently issued; and, in view of the nature of the criticisms and the fact that the Committee responsible was unable to obtain evidence from prison officers, if he will appoint a Committee to inquire into the whole of the penal system now in force?
Mr Edward Shortt
, Newcastle upon Tyne West
I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for the Central Division of Portsmouth on the 11th instant.
Mr Frank Briant
, Lambeth North
It will not take the right hon. Gentleman long to say, yes or no, whether a Committee is going to be appointed.
Mr Edward Shortt
, Newcastle upon Tyne West
I have nothing to add to what I said on the 11th instant.
The House of Commons votes by dividing. Those voting Aye (yes) to any proposition walk through the division lobby to the right of the Speaker and those voting no through the lobby to the left. In each of the lobbies there are desks occupied by Clerks who tick Members' names off division lists as they pass through. Then at the exit doors the Members are counted by two Members acting as tellers. The Speaker calls for a vote by announcing "Clear the Lobbies". In the House of Lords "Clear the Bar" is called. Division Bells ring throughout the building and the police direct all Strangers to leave the vicinity of the Members’ Lobby. They also walk through the public rooms of the House shouting "division". MPs have eight minutes to get to the Division Lobby before the doors are closed. Members make their way to the Chamber, where Whips are on hand to remind the uncertain which way, if any, their party is voting. Meanwhile the Clerks who will take the names of those voting have taken their place at the high tables with the alphabetical lists of MPs' names on which ticks are made to record the vote. When the tellers are ready the counting process begins - the recording of names by the Clerk and the counting of heads by the tellers. When both lobbies have been counted and the figures entered on a card this is given to the Speaker who reads the figures and announces "So the Ayes [or Noes] have it". In the House of Lords the process is the same except that the Lobbies are called the Contents Lobby and the Not Contents Lobby. Unlike many other legislatures, the House of Commons and the House of Lords have not adopted a mechanical or electronic means of voting. This was considered in 1998 but rejected. Divisions rarely take less than ten minutes and those where most Members are voting usually take about fifteen. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P9 at the UK Parliament site.
