Oral Answers to Questions — Transport. – in the House of Commons at on 18 October 1939.
Sir Rupert De La Bere
, Evesham
asked the Minister of Transport whether, in connection with the Government's new road-rail plan, he will give an assurance that the railways have sufficient trucks, adequate loading and unloading facilities and cranes to handle the increased volume of traffic that they may be called on to do?
Captain Euan Wallace
, Hornsey
I can assure my hon. Friend that no road-rail scheme will be approved that aims at diverting to the railways a greater measure of traffic than they are likely to be capable of handling.
Sir Rupert De La Bere
, Evesham
Can my right hon. and gallant Friend tell the House who is responsible for the stupefying absurdity in thinking that all long distance traffic should go by rail and not by road? Does he realise that it is of more national importance to-day than ever that road traffic should continue, and that rail traffic, as a result of the restrictions of lighting, is 30 per cent. less efficient than it was prior to the war?
Captain Euan Wallace
, Hornsey
As far as I am aware, nobody has made the stupefying suggestion that all long distance traffic should be carried by rail and not by road.
Mr Arthur Reed
, Exeter
Is my right hon. and gallant Friend aware that the railway companies are always advising traders that they cannot take goods before periods of from five to ten days?
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.
