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Stocks, Middlesbrough.

Oral Answers to Questions — Food Supplies. – in the House of Commons at on 8 December 1920.

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Mr. T. THOMSON:

87.

asked the Minister of Food what is the total quan tity of foodstuffs, including flour and coffee, stored in the Midlesbrough area, giving full particulars of the quantities on the Tyne and Tees Shipping Com pany's wharf and warehouses there; how long the bulk of the materials have been in stock; the date of the last deliveries into store; the total amounts cleared since 30th June last: and the condition of the materials now in stock?

Photo of Sir William Mitchell-Thomson Sir William Mitchell-Thomson , Glasgow Maryhill

I am having inquiries made into the points raised by the hon. Member, and will communicate the results to him as soon as they are available.

Mr. THOMSON:

Seeing that these stocks are considerable, will the Minister take care that they are cleared before further losses are sustained?

Photo of Sir William Mitchell-Thomson Sir William Mitchell-Thomson , Glasgow Maryhill

My difficulty is that the hon. Gentleman's question is manifestly inaccurate, because the Ministry has never held stocks of coffee, and I must make further inquiry to ascertain the facts.

Photo of Lieut-Colonel Penry Williams Lieut-Colonel Penry Williams , Middlesbrough East

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that this stock of coffee was discovered owing to a crane falling through the roof of a building?

Sir W. MITCHELLTHOMSON:

So far as I am concerned, the coffee never belonged to the Ministry.

Minister

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.