– in the House of Commons at on 29 June 1939.
Colonel Sandeman Allen:
asked the Chancellor of the exchequer whether he is aware that in the instructions to civil servants concerning removals there has appeared a recommendation that the rail way should be chosen for the removal; and will he issue instructions to all Government Departments that there should be no restriction of choice of removal contractors?
Mr John Simon
, Spen Valley
My hon. and gallant Friend would appear to have been misinformed. Civil servants compulsorily transferred from one part of the country to another are required to submit three competitive tenders in writing for the removal of their furniture, one of the tenders being from a railway company if the distance of transfer is 60 miles or more. Officers may accept whichever tender they choose, but payment from public funds is restricted to the amount of the lowest tender save for good reasons to the contrary.
Mr John Simon
, Spen Valley
I am not aware of that.
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.
