Oral Answers to Questions — Ministry of Supply. – in the House of Commons at on 17 December 1941.
Mr Arthur Pearson
, Pontypridd
asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Supply what methods are adopted to ascertain what a fair price should be as to contract prices for shell-cases of various types; and whether he is satisfied that he has adequate powers to fix prices?
Mr Harold Macmillan
, Stockton-on-Tees
The price-fixing Clause in normal use in contracts for shell bodies is the Ministry's standard costings clause, under which the fixing of fair and reasonable charges for materials, labour, overheads and profit margin rests with the Minister. This clause has so far proved adequate, but the Minister would not hesitate to seek further powers if he found on experience that he required them.
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.
A parliamentary bill is divided into sections called clauses.
Printed in the margin next to each clause is a brief explanatory `side-note' giving details of what the effect of the clause will be.
During the committee stage of a bill, MPs examine these clauses in detail and may introduce new clauses of their own or table amendments to the existing clauses.
When a bill becomes an Act of Parliament, clauses become known as sections.
