– in the House of Commons at on 25 March 1943.
Sir George Mitcheson
, St Pancras South West
asked the Minister of Health whether he can furnish an estimate of the weight of paper that will be needed and the number of man-hours involved in the proposal to furnish every person with a new identity card?
Mr Ernest Brown
, Leith
I am informed that the weight of paper involved in the re-issue of identity cards is estimated at 190 tons for the whole of the United Kingdom. With regard to the number of man-hours involved, the re-issue procedure now under consideration is so closely interwoven with the arrangements for the normal annual re-issue of food and clothing ration documents that it is not possible to estimate separately the man-power cost of the identity card re-issue. The arrangements as a whole are being planned with the utmost regard to man-power economy; and I am informed that the inclusion of identity cards in the re-issue arrangements involves a relatively small addition only to the man-power cost of the annual reissue of rationing documents.
Mr Thomas Naylor
, Southwark South East
Will the occupation of the person be included in the particulars to be given?
Mr Ernest Brown
, Leith
I should like notice of that Question.
Sir Alfred Beit
, St Pancras South East
Would it not be an advantage if photographs were affixed to identity cards?
Mr Ernest Brown
, Leith
The hon. Gentleman will be aware that the matter has been discussed on several occasions, and that it has been thought, on the whole, better not to do so.
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.
