Parliamentary snuff box
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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. The practise originated after 1694 when smoking was banned in the House of Commons of England.[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 of England 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][6] 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]