Oral Answers to Questions — China. – in the House of Commons am ar 6 Gorffennaf 1925.
Mr William Thorne
, West Ham Plaistow
asked the Minister of Health if he will issue a statement showing the amount of relief paid out by the various boards of guardians to single persons living at home; single persons who are living away from home; married couples without dependants; and married couples with dependants, either in money or in kind?
Sir Kingsley Wood
, Woolwich West
The Majority of boards of guardians do not work to a definite scale, and even where a scale has been adopted it is commonly used as a general guide and not applied automatically. Complete information as to the scales adopted even as working rules is not available, but my right hon. Friend has particulars of the scales in existence in a. number of unions, and he will be glad to make available such information as he has for a number of representative districts.
Mr John Jones
, West Ham Silvertown
If the Department have not got full information of the various scales, why do they select an arbitrary scale for a different district?
Mr Horace Crawfurd
, Walthamstow West
May I ask—
Mr John Jones
, West Ham Silvertown
I am asking a question, and I want an answer.
Mr John Whitley
, Halifax
May I remind the hon. Member that no answer can be made while he is standing.
Sir Kingsley Wood
, Woolwich West
The hon. Member is under a misapprehension.
Mr John Jones
, West Ham Silvertown
In the case of West Ham, we have been told that we are paying more than we ought to pay. [HON. MEMBERS: "Speech!"] The hon. Member has said that the Department have no scale themselves. [HON. MEMBERS: "Speech!"] It is not a speech, it is a fact. In view of the hon. Member's own admission that the Department have no scale of their own, why do they single out a particular district, and say that they shall not pay a particular scale?
Sir Kingsley Wood
, Woolwich West
The hon. Member is under a misapprehension. The West Ham Guardians are asking that money should be lent to them, and conditions have been laid down to insure that the money shall be properly spent.
Mr John Jones
, West Ham Silvertown
What other means have they of obtaining money except by doubling the rates?
Mr Horace Crawfurd
, Walthamstow West
Arising out of the original answer, does that mean that the information will be circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT?
Mr William Mackinder
, Shipley
Is it a fact that one of the conditions laid down is that the maximum for a married man with a family shall be not more than 45s., while some guardians may give 70s. [Interruption.]
Mr John Whitley
, Halifax
The hon. Member has already taken up a good deal of time.
Mr William Mackinder
, Shipley
In view of that nasty reference with regard to a previous question, which was asked to elicit information, may I ask, Mr. Speaker, for your protection? I will land the hon. Member one, if he says that to me again. He had better come outside.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
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.
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.
