The parliamentary snuff box is a wooden snuff box at the door of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom where snuff is stored for use by Members of Parliament. It originated after 1694 when smoking was banned in the House of Commons. [1] It is the responsibility of the Principal Doorkeeper to ensure it is kept stocked. [2]
In 1694, the Parliament of England passed a resolution banning smoking in the House of Commons chamber and in committee rooms. [3] Following this, members still wished to take tobacco so snuff was used as a tolerated alternative to smoking as attributed to Erskine May: Parliamentary Practice . [4] In 1941, the House of Commons chamber was destroyed by a German bomb on the Palace of Westminster. The current parliamentary snuff box was created using timber from the destroyed chamber's door frame with a silver plate listing all the names of the Principal Doorkeepers since 1943 screwed onto the lid. [5] [1] The responsibility for maintaining the parliamentary snuff box lies with the Principal Doorkeeper who stocks the box with snuff paid for with his own money. [1]
Until the 2010s, the rights of MPs to have free snuff was a little known tradition of the House of Commons. A Freedom of Information request in 2010 confirmed the existence of the tradition and that it was filled with snuff chosen by the Principal Doorkeeper which he selected from a local tobacconist. [5] The request did not reveal which members took advantage of the free snuff privilege, as the last recorded instance of an MP taking snuff was in 1989, when 1.5 ounces (43 g) was taken at a cost of 99p. [4]
In 2012, the parliamentary snuff box was mentioned in a debate by the Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion, Caroline Lucas, who criticised the parliamentary snuff box for being outdated. [2] The Conservative Party MP for Gillingham and Rainham, Rehman Chishti, also wrote a question about how much had been used in the previous decade. The response was that there were no known users of the parliamentary snuff box. [2] It was also noted that while under the Health Act 2006 it is illegal to give out free tobacco in the United Kingdom, Parliament is exempt from this as the Palace of Westminster is a royal palace, and therefore legally exempt from the legislation. [2]
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 members known as members of Parliament (MPs). MPs are elected to represent constituencies by the first-past-the-post system and hold their seats until Parliament is dissolved.
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster in London. Parliament possesses legislative supremacy and thereby holds ultimate power over all other political bodies in the United Kingdom and the Overseas Territories. While Parliament is bicameral, it has three parts: the sovereign (King-in-Parliament), the House of Lords, and the House of Commons. In theory, power is officially vested in the King-in-Parliament. However, the Crown normally acts on the advice of the prime minister, and the powers of the House of Lords are limited to only delaying legislation; thus power is de facto vested in the House of Commons.
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Snuff is a type of smokeless tobacco product made from finely ground or pulverized tobacco leaves. It is snorted or "sniffed" into the nasal cavity, delivering nicotine and a flavored scent to the user. Traditionally, it is sniffed or inhaled lightly after a pinch of snuff is either placed onto the back surface of the hand, held pinched between thumb and index finger, or held by a specially made "snuffing" device.
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