Oral Answers to Questions — Royal Navy. – in the House of Commons am ar 16 Gorffennaf 1925.
Sir Rhys Morris
, Cardiganshire
asked the Chancellor of the exchequer whether he is aware that the wife and children of an elector in the Bradford East Division, in returning recently from a short summer holiday spent in Guernsey, had their personal luggage held up at Weymouth by the Customs authorities, who demanded payment of duty on silk dresses and blouses and a baby's overall, although the dresses and blouses were in fact bought in Bradford two 3'ears ago; and whether he will give instructions, without delay, to have the goods forwarded to the owner in Bradford?
Mr. GUINNESS:
I am informed that no personal luggage has been detained at Weymouth. A package containing clothing addressed to a consignee in Bradford was imported in the ordinary way as ships' cargo and entered with the Customs by the Great Western Railway as the importer's agent. The railway company ascertained on inquiry of the consignee that the clothing consisted of old personal effects, except for one overall, which had been bought as a present. All the contents were at once released by the Customs without charge to duty, except the overall, which was necessarily kept back pending payment of the duty to which it is liable.
Sir Rhys Morris
, Cardiganshire
Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the husband and wife went over to Guernsey for a holiday from Bradford, taking their clothing with than, and among that clothing were silk articles, and that when they returned, they were asked to pay Silk Duty upon goods which they had taken out?
Mr John Whitley
, Halifax
That is exactly the? question which is on the Paper.
Sir Rhys Morris
, Cardiganshire
This is a journey to Guernsey by these people and not the question answered by the right hon. Gentleman.
Mr. GUINNESS:
If they had brought these articles back as personal luggage, this small duty of Is. which has been claimed would not have been demanded. Where personal effects are shipped, not as luggage, but as in this case as ships' cargo, the concession given in respect of passenger's luggage accompanying the passenger, does not apply.
Sir Rhys Morris
, Cardiganshire
Is the. right hon. Gentleman aware that in this case the goods were brought back as personal luggage by the wife? They were personal articles bought at Bradford. and brought back as personal luggage
The chancellor of the exchequer is the government's chief financial minister and as such is responsible for raising government revenue through taxation or borrowing and for controlling overall government spending.
The chancellor's plans for the economy are delivered to the House of Commons every year in the Budget speech.
The chancellor is the most senior figure at the Treasury, even though the prime minister holds an additional title of 'First Lord of the Treasury'. He normally resides at Number 11 Downing Street.
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.
