Oral Answers to Questions — British Army. – in the House of Commons at on 5 December 1939.
Mr George Strauss
, Lambeth North
asked the Chancellor of the exchequer whether, in order to render more effective the exchange control of the £, he has approached the Dominion Governments with a view to forming a joint Empire control; and, if se, with what result?
Captain Harry Crookshank
, Gainsborough
Each of the Dominion Governments has imposed exchange control under its own legislation, and every effort is made to ensure coordination and co-operation between the authorities concerned, both as regards the Governments and the central banks.
Mr George Strauss
, Lambeth North
Is the right hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that unless there is unified control, there cannot be complete and satisfactory control?
Captain Harry Crookshank
, Gainsborough
I think everything is quite satisfactory in this field at the moment.
| Appointments made from outbreak of war up to the 31st October, 1939, of persons, not already serving in the Civil Service, to posts with a salary of £1,000 a year and over. | |||
| Department. | Appointment. | Salary. | |
| £ | |||
| Admiralty | 1 | Adviser on Scientific Development | 1,000 |
| Air Ministry | 1 | Special appointment in the Directorate of SubContracting. | 1,100 |
| 1 | Inspector of Camouflage | 1,000 | |
| 1 | Director of Armament Production | Not yet fixed. | |
| 1 | Assistant Director of Armament Production | 1,050 | |
| Foreign Office | 10 | Specialists in the Political Intelligence Department. | 1,000 |
| Home Office and Ministry of Home Security. | 13 | Regional Commissioners | 2,500* |
| 12 | Deputy Regional Commissioners | 1,000* | |
| 5 | District Commissioners (Scotland) | 1,000* | |
| 9 | Regional Works Advisers | 1,000* | |
| Press and Censorship Bureau. | |||
| 1 | Director General | Not yet fixed. | |
| 1 | Deputy Director, News Division | 1,000 | |
| 2 | Deputy Directors, Censorship Division | 1,200 | |
| Mines Department | 1 | Director for Mining Supplies | 1,200 |
| Ministry of Economic Warfare. | 1 | Head of Financial Pressure Department | 1,000 |
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.
The House of Commons votes by dividing. Those voting Aye (yes) to any proposition walk through the division lobby to the right of the Speaker and those voting no through the lobby to the left. In each of the lobbies there are desks occupied by Clerks who tick Members' names off division lists as they pass through. Then at the exit doors the Members are counted by two Members acting as tellers. The Speaker calls for a vote by announcing "Clear the Lobbies". In the House of Lords "Clear the Bar" is called. Division Bells ring throughout the building and the police direct all Strangers to leave the vicinity of the Members’ Lobby. They also walk through the public rooms of the House shouting "division". MPs have eight minutes to get to the Division Lobby before the doors are closed. Members make their way to the Chamber, where Whips are on hand to remind the uncertain which way, if any, their party is voting. Meanwhile the Clerks who will take the names of those voting have taken their place at the high tables with the alphabetical lists of MPs' names on which ticks are made to record the vote. When the tellers are ready the counting process begins - the recording of names by the Clerk and the counting of heads by the tellers. When both lobbies have been counted and the figures entered on a card this is given to the Speaker who reads the figures and announces "So the Ayes [or Noes] have it". In the House of Lords the process is the same except that the Lobbies are called the Contents Lobby and the Not Contents Lobby. Unlike many other legislatures, the House of Commons and the House of Lords have not adopted a mechanical or electronic means of voting. This was considered in 1998 but rejected. Divisions rarely take less than ten minutes and those where most Members are voting usually take about fifteen. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P9 at the UK Parliament site.
