Oral Answers to Questions — Works and Buildings. – in the House of Commons at on 28 May 1941.
Mr Alfred Edwards
, Middlesbrough East
asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works and Buildings whether he will publish the Report on Cement by the Balfour Committee?
Mr George Hicks
, Woolwich East
Yes, Sir. I expect it to be ready quite shortly.
Mr Alfred Edwards
, Middlesbrough East
asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works and Buildings whether he will give a list of cement works on Thames side where the cost of production exceeds 16s. per ton; and whether he will take steps to reduce the prices of 46s. 6d. to 49s. per ton for four-ton lots, ex-works in the London area, as this is considered by users to be unreasonably high?
Mr George Hicks
, Woolwich East
The answer to the first part of the Question is that the cost of pro- duction exceeds 16s. per ton in the case of all Thamesside cement works, but it must be added that production cost is only one of a number of elements in the price to consumers. As I have already informed my hon. Friend, the Minister is satisfied that current price levels are not excessive.
Mr Alfred Edwards
, Middlesbrough East
Has the Minister taken advice from consumers as well as from contractors?
Mr George Hicks
, Woolwich East
My hon. Friend will see on the Order Paper a Question put down, to be replied to after the Recess, asking for more specific details.
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.
The order paper is issued daily and lists the business which will be dealt with during that day's sitting of the House of Commons.
It provides MPs with details of what will be happening in the House throughout the day.
It also gives details of when and where the standing committees and select committees of the Commons will be meeting.
Written questions tabled to ministers by MPs on the previous day are listed at the back of the order paper.
The order paper forms one section of the daily vote bundle and is issued by the Vote Office
