Oral Answers to Questions — Ministry of Information. – in the House of Commons at on 18 October 1939.
Miss Ward:
asked the Prime Minister what official meetings of Ministers, other than those in the War Cabinet, take place; whether they are regular meetings; and who presides?
Mr Neville Chamberlain
, Birmingham, Edgbaston
The Committee of Ministers concerned with the various aspects of Civil Defence, set up a year ago under the Chairmanship of my right hon. Friend the Member for the Scottish Universities (Sir J. Anderson), then Lord Privy Seal, was re-constituted on the outbreak of war as a Standing Committee. This committee is now known as the Civil Defence Committee, and is presided over by the Minister of Home Security. A further Standing Committee of Ministers, known as the Home Policy Committee, was set up on the outbreak of war, under the Chairmanship of the Lord Privy Seal. This committee covers all domestic questions other than those specifically referred to other committees, and reviews all proposals for Government legislation or Regulations under the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act, 1939. Particulars in regard to the Ministerial Committee on Economic Policy were given in the answer which I gave on 9th October to my hon. Friend the Member for Central Leeds (Mr. Denman). All these committees hold regular meetings. In addition to the above, many other meetings of Ministers are, of course, held from time to time, often in the form of ad hocor temporary committees or subcommittees appointed to consider specific questions.
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.
In a normal session there are up to ten standing committees on bills. Each has a chair and from 16 to 50 members. Standing committee members on bills are appointed afresh for each new bill by the Committee of Selection which is required to take account of the composition of the House of Commons (ie. party proportions) as well as the qualification of members to be nominated. The committees are chaired by a member of the Chairmen's Panel (whose members are appointed by the Speaker). In standing committees the Chairman has much the same function as the Speaker in the House of Commons. Like the Speaker, a chairman votes only in the event of a tie, and then usually in accordance with precedent. The committees consider each bill clause by clause and may make amendments. There are no standing committees in the House of Lords.
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.
