Oral Answers to Questions — National Finance – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 11 February 1947.
Mr George Pargiter
, Spelthorne
12:00,
11 February 1947
asked the Chancellor of the exchequer whether he is now in a position to make a statement on the plans for the enlargement of Parliament Square.
Mr Hugh Dalton
, Bishop Auckland
Yes, Sir. The Middlesex County Council have offered to the Ministry of Works, for the permanent enlargement of Parliament Square, a site on the west side which they acquired in 1935. Contributions towards the cost incurred by the Middlesex County Council have been offered by the London County Council, the Westminster City Council, the Pilgrim Trust and the Chartered Surveyors Institution, and I am prepared to add, subject to the approval of Parliament, an Exchequer contribution of £100,000. This enlargement will make possible a great improvement in the layout of the roads in Parliament Square and will notably increase the beauty and dignity of the Square. In addition to the direct Exchequer contribution, there will be a 75 per cent. grant from the Minister of Transport towards the cost of the road improvement. I would like to express the Government's appreciation of the public spirit shown by the Middlesex County Council and by the other bodies who are making contributions.
Mr George Pargiter
, Spelthorne
Is my right hon. Friend aware that this statement will be received with considerable satisfaction by the ratepayers of Middlesex, who have been carrying a very heavy financial burden for many years in preventing this site from being built on, and also by the other contributing authorities who will agree that we have at last found a Chancellor of the exchequer who has a more generous sense of responsibility than previous Chancellors?
Sir Godfrey Nicholson
, Farnham
When the area is redesigned and laid out, can the right hon. Gentleman assure the House that the Royal Fine Art Commission will be consulted?
Mr Hugh Dalton
, Bishop Auckland
I could not say whether the Royal Fine Art Commission will be consulted. It will all be done very carefully, having regard to the amenities involved. I would not say "No," but without notice I would not say "Yes."
The chancellor of the exchequer is the government's chief financial minister and as such is responsible for raising government revenue through taxation or borrowing and for controlling overall government spending.
The chancellor's plans for the economy are delivered to the House of Commons every year in the Budget speech.
The chancellor is the most senior figure at the Treasury, even though the prime minister holds an additional title of 'First Lord of the Treasury'. He normally resides at Number 11 Downing Street.
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.
