Oral Answers to Questions — Royal Navy. – in the House of Commons am ar 1 Gorffennaf 1925.
Mr Leslie Hore-Belisha
, Plymouth, Devonport
asked the First Lord of the Admiralty why the announcement upon the question of marriage allowance, the money for which has already been granted by the House of Commons, is still delayed?
Sir Charles Cayzer
, City of Chester
asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the co-ordinating Committee of the Cabinet has now reached any decision regarding the Admiralty proposals in respect of marriage allowances to naval officers; and, if so, what that decision is?
Mr William Bridgeman
, Oswestry
I will, with the hon. Members' permission, answer these questions together. No decision has yet been reached on this subject.
Mr Leslie Hore-Belisha
, Plymouth, Devonport
Could the right hon. Gentleman say whether this matter is daily under discussion and deliberation, and, if so, when he expects that an announcement will be made, in view of the interest that is felt?
Mr William Bridgeman
, Oswestry
I cannot say more. All I can say is, that I am doing nothing to prevent its being decided, and we shall only be too glad when it is.
Mr Leslie Hore-Belisha
, Plymouth, Devonport
May I ask the right hon. Gentleman to answer the question on the Order Paper, as to why there is this delay?
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.
The cabinet is the group of twenty or so (and no more than 22) senior government ministers who are responsible for running the departments of state and deciding government policy.
It is chaired by the prime minister.
The cabinet is bound by collective responsibility, which means that all its members must abide by and defend the decisions it takes, despite any private doubts that they might have.
Cabinet ministers are appointed by the prime minister and chosen from MPs or peers of the governing party.
However, during periods of national emergency, or when no single party gains a large enough majority to govern alone, coalition governments have been formed with cabinets containing members from more than one political party.
War cabinets have sometimes been formed with a much smaller membership than the full cabinet.
From time to time the prime minister will reorganise the cabinet in order to bring in new members, or to move existing members around. This reorganisation is known as a cabinet re-shuffle.
The cabinet normally meets once a week in the cabinet room at Downing Street.
The order paper is issued daily and lists the business which will be dealt with during that day's sitting of the House of Commons.
It provides MPs with details of what will be happening in the House throughout the day.
It also gives details of when and where the standing committees and select committees of the Commons will be meeting.
Written questions tabled to ministers by MPs on the previous day are listed at the back of the order paper.
The order paper forms one section of the daily vote bundle and is issued by the Vote Office
