Oral Answers to Questions — Ministry of Supply – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 28 March 1945.
Mr Thomas Naylor
, Southwark South East
12:00,
28 March 1945
asked the Minister of Supply if he will give particulars concerning the method of distributing paper and card for the purposes of the General Election; and if it is intended to give national party organisations a direct allocation for national poster propaganda, apart from ordinary Constituency requirements.
Mr James de Rothschild
, Isle of Ely
Arrangements are being made to secure that paper shall be available to all candidates for the General Election on an appropriate scale but the precise arrangements for distribution have not yet been worked out. As regards the last part of the Question, it is the intention to make an allocation of paper for national party organisations as well as for Constituency requirements.
Mr Thomas Naylor
, Southwark South East
May I ask my hon. Friend whether the House will have an opportunity of considering those arrangements before they are finally fixed?
Mr James de Rothschild
, Isle of Ely
No, Sir, I think not.
Lieut-Colonel Sir Thomas Moore
, Ayr District of Burghs
Can the hon. Gentleman say whether arrangements will include handbills which have to be a certain size for the Post Office to accept them?
Mr Thomas Naylor
, Southwark South East
May I have an answer to my question? [Interruption.] May I direct my hon. Friend's attention to the fact that I have called for a reply?
In a general election, each constituency chooses an MP to represent it by process of election. The party who wins the most seats in parliament is in power, with its leader becoming Prime Minister and its Ministers/Shadow Ministers making up the new Cabinet. If no party has a majority, this is known as a hung Parliament. The next general election will take place on or before 3rd June 2010.
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.
In a general election, each Constituency chooses an MP to represent them. MPs have a responsibility to represnt the views of the Constituency in the House of Commons. There are 650 Constituencies, and thus 650 MPs. A citizen of a Constituency is known as a Constituent
