Oral Answers to Questions — Royal Air Force. – in the House of Commons at on 21 February 1940.
Mr. De la Bère:
asked the Minister of Transport whether he will take steps to secure the necessary statutory powers to enable his Department to compel undertakers to supply electricity to the rural areas where a supply would enable such areas to obtain an increased output from their farms with a view to securing the maximum production?
Captain Euan Wallace
, Hornsey
Where supplies of electricity are required in rural areas for work of national importance such as increasing agricultural production and can be provided on a reasonably economic basis, I have no reason to suppose that the electricity undertakers would not be prepared to afford them.
Mr. De la Bère:
Does the right hon. and gallant Gentleman really mean to tell the House that he is going to allow the Shropshire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire Electricity Power Company to treat both him and the Electricity Commissioners with contempt? Is he aware of the inquiry in 1937 in connection with Evesham; and is he aware that this group of Edmondson undertakings have done nothing but thwart every single endeavour to assist agriculture in the areas over which they have control? Does he not think this is an absolute scandal which ought to be ended?
Captain Euan Wallace
, Hornsey
I can assure my hon. Friend that the Commissioners would be prepared to press the undertakers if necessary, in each case where it is definitely shown that supplies were needed for increasing agricultural production and could be afforded on a reasonably economic basis.
Mr. De la Bère:
Is the Minister aware that evidence has been provided that the Electricity Commissioners have not done so? Owing to the unsatisfactory nature of the reply I shall raise this matter on the Adjournment of the House.
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.
An adjournment is a break in the course of parliamentary business.
The House adjourns at the end of each day's business.
On a daily basis the House adjourns, or breaks, half an hour after the moving of the adjournment debate.
The House is also adjourned for several holiday periods during the session.
The more lengthy adjournments - often coinciding with the academic calendar - are known as recesses.
