Oral Answers to Questions — Ministry of Supply – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 3 March 1947.
Mr Ernest Davies
, Enfield
12:00,
3 March 1947
asked the Minister of Supply the numbers employed at the Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield, at 31st January, 1947, and at the latest available date.
Mr John Wilmot
, Deptford
1,518 on 31st January, and 1,522 on 28th February, Sir.
Mr Ernest Davies
, Enfield
asked the Minister of Supply whether sufficient work, civilian or military, will be assigned to the Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield, to obviate further redundancy.
Mr John Wilmot
, Deptford
Recent discharges of employees of this factory have been due, not to a fall in the volume of work, but to the reinstatement of workers returning from the Services. Employment has, in fact, increased during the last nine months.
Mr Ernest Davies
, Enfield
Can the Minister give an assurance that the present establishment will be maintained?
Mr John Wilmot
, Deptford
That is the intention.
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.
