– in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 19 Mawrth 1964.
Mr George Wigg
, Dudley
I should like to make one or two observations before the Motion is passed. We have just heard from the Minister of Labour one of the most extraordinary statements that I have ever heard in this assembly. Leaving aside the question whether the matter with which he was dealing was academic or not, he seemed to think that controversy was a vice to be avoided, whereas I hold the view that in a democracy it is a virtue to be practised. That is what we are here for. I propose to detain the House for a few moments practising that virtue.
We are asked, in the usual form, to go off for the Easter holidays, leaving——
Sir Harry Hylton-Foster
, Cities of London and Westminster
I hope that I am not doing the hon. Gentleman an injustice. We have not yet got to the Motion for the Easter Adjournment. I think that he may have that in mind, but it did not sound as though he had.
Mr George Wigg
, Dudley
I did not hear you read the words, Mr. Speaker. If I may say so, they were not read with your usual clarity and were read speedily. I was very anxious not to lose an opportunity. I am quite willing to wait until the appropriate Motion comes before us.
Sir Harry Hylton-Foster
, Cities of London and Westminster
I accept the blame. I expect that the place where the hon. Gentleman sits makes it particularly difficult to hear the Chair if there is a vice versa about these things.
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.
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.
