– in the House of Commons at on 14 March 1929.
Sir Robert Thomas
, Anglesey
asked the Chancellor of the exchequer whether, in cases where shopkeepers and trades have suffered losses as the result of street explosions or bursting water mains, and where liability cannot be attached to any particular public or private authority, he will consider the question of allocating some grant-in-aid towards the assistance of such financial sufferers from circumstances beyond their control?
Sir Robert Thomas
, Anglesey
Can the Financial Secretary give the reasons?
Mr. SAMUEL:
The hon. Member asks whether the Chancellor of the exchequer will consider the question of allocating some grant-in-aid towards the assistance of such financial sufferers for circumstances beyond their control where the liability cannot be attached to any particular authority. That is a very strong order, and the liability is one which could not be placed on the taxpayer.
Mr Robert Taylor
, Lincoln
Will the Financial Secretary stimulate a revolt among the back benches on the Government side to force the hands of the Cabinet in this matter?
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.
The cabinet is the group of twenty or so (and no more than 22) senior government ministers who are responsible for running the departments of state and deciding government policy.
It is chaired by the prime minister.
The cabinet is bound by collective responsibility, which means that all its members must abide by and defend the decisions it takes, despite any private doubts that they might have.
Cabinet ministers are appointed by the prime minister and chosen from MPs or peers of the governing party.
However, during periods of national emergency, or when no single party gains a large enough majority to govern alone, coalition governments have been formed with cabinets containing members from more than one political party.
War cabinets have sometimes been formed with a much smaller membership than the full cabinet.
From time to time the prime minister will reorganise the cabinet in order to bring in new members, or to move existing members around. This reorganisation is known as a cabinet re-shuffle.
The cabinet normally meets once a week in the cabinet room at Downing Street.
