Part of Oral Answers to Questions — National Health Insurance. – in the House of Commons at on 23 July 1925.
Sir Arthur Benn
, Plymouth Drake
asked the Chancellor of the exchequer (1) the. causes of the delay in completing, out of the still unexpended sum of over £400,000, the payment of reparation awards of the Sumner Commission; how much longer it will be before these payments are completed; whether, when completed, they will absorb the whole of that sum; and, if not, how the balance remaining will be divided among those for whom the £5,000,000 was voted by Parliament;
(2) the causes of the delay in completing, out of the still unexpended sum of nearly £36,000, the payment of belated reparation claims; how much longer it will be before these payments are completed; whether, when completed, the whole of the £300,000 will be expended; and, if not, how the balance remaining will be used in order to carry out the intention for which Parliament voted the £300,000?
The chancellor of the exchequer is the government's chief financial minister and as such is responsible for raising government revenue through taxation or borrowing and for controlling overall government spending.
The chancellor's plans for the economy are delivered to the House of Commons every year in the Budget speech.
The chancellor is the most senior figure at the Treasury, even though the prime minister holds an additional title of 'First Lord of the Treasury'. He normally resides at Number 11 Downing Street.
