Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 3 February 1947.
Lieut-Colonel Uvedale Corbett
, Ludlow
12:00,
3 February 1947
asked the Minister of Agriculture why his Department abitrarily secures payment of any sum alleged to be owed by a farmer to an A.E.C. by arranging with the Ministry of Food to deduct the sum from any acreage payment due to that farmer by that Ministry; and whether he will order that this practice shall cease.
Mr Thomas Williams
, Don Valley
This form of mutual set-off of debts owing to and by the Crown, which is applied where the farmer has received contract services from a county war agricultural executive committee, is normally convenient to both parties; it is economical to operate, and it protects State funds. I therefore do not propose to alter it. I have instructed committees that where the amount of the debt owed by the farmer is in dispute, they should take steps to resolve the dispute, as far as they can, in the shortest possible time.
Sir Herbert Butcher
, Holland with Boston
Are not the farmers entitled to deduct the acreage payments to which they are entitled from their Income Tax instalments?
Mr Thomas Williams
, Don Valley
No, Sir.
Sir Waldron Smithers
, Orpington
Is there any appeal against this arbitrary action of the committees?
Mr Thomas Williams
, Don Valley
No, Sir.
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.
