– in the House of Commons am ar 2 Gorffennaf 1925.
Mr George Garro-Jones
, Hackney South
asked the Home Secretary whether, on 3rd October, 1924, he received 32 petitions signed by over 1,100 registered electors, and accompanied by a. certified copy of the Ordnance Survey map, as required by him, asking for an additional order to be made on the local authority, the county council of Berkshire, to provide additional polling districts and polling places in the Abingdon Division of the said county; and what steps have been taken since to consider and act upon the said petitions?
Mr William Joynson-Hicks
, Twickenham
These petitions were received in the Home Office last October and, in accordance with the usual practice, were referred to the county council for their observations. These observations have not yet been received: as the hon. Member is aware, a new council was elected last March, and I am pressing the council to let me have their observations at an early date.
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.
