Oral Answers to Questions — Roads – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 14 Hydref 1946.
Mr James Hudson
, Ealing West
12:00,
14 Hydref 1946
asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the high speed and ill-direction of much traffic which passes along the street between the Houses of Parliament and No. 5, Old Palace Yard, he will recommend the placing of an island to assist Members, constituents and secretaries who frequently cross to No. 5, and to define the lanes of traffic at this point.
Mr Alfred Barnes
, East Ham South
I am considering, with the Commissioner of Police and the Westminster City Council, both suggestions made by my hon. Friend, with a view to increasing the safety of all road users. I would, however, remind him that there is a pedestrian crossing in St. Margaret's Street which is police controlled when the House is sitting, and that the use of this crossing by persons going from St. Stephen's Hall to No. 5, Old Palace Yard involves an extra distance of only 50 yards.
Sir Martin Lindsay
, Solihull
Will the Minister bear in mind that there has already been one fatal accident there in the last month, that there are already six by-elections pending, and that Ministers' and hon. Members' secretaries are very hard to replace?
Mr Alfred Barnes
, East Ham South
As I have indicated, I am aware of that, and am consulting the police and the Westminster City Council.
Mr Alfred Barnes
, East Ham South
Better to miss a Division than to a miss a limb.
Mr William Adams
, Hammersmith South
Will the Minister bear in mind that even 50 yards is a personal hardship?
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 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.
