Oral Answers to Questions — Civil Service – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 11 March 1947.
Sir Waldron Smithers
, Orpington
12:00,
11 March 1947
asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the fact that the Powers of Regulation (Inspection of Land) under Defence Regulation No. 85 are no longer exercised, he will take steps to repeal it.
Mr William Hall
, Colne Valley
I regret that the information contained in the table circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT, in reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Abingdon (Sir R. Glynn) was misleading in one particular. Although it is true that all warrants conveying a general authority to certain Ministry of Works officers to make investigations under Regulation 85 have been withdrawn, any similar investigation which may be necessary in the future will be made only on the specific authority on each occasion of the principal establishment officer or a regional director in the Ministry of Works. I regret, therefore, that the Defence Regulation, which in any case empowers other Ministers be sides the Minister of Works to make investigations, cannot be repealed at present.
Sir Waldron Smithers
, Orpington
Will the Government give an undertaking that when any of
| Department | Number of officials authorised to carry out inspections | |
| Admiralty | 2 | Accountants. |
| Board of Trade | 474 | Officers concerned with Price Control, coupons and manufacture of Utility Goods. |
| Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries | 1,900 | Animal Health Division Inspectors and Research Officers. |
| Ministry of Food | 1,625 | Inspectors of Food Undertakings. |
| Ministry of Works | 52 | Building Inspectors controlling licensing. |
| Ministry of Health | 51 | Alkali Inspectors (8). |
| Medical Inspectors (43). | ||
| War Damage Commission | 1,073 | Assessors of War Damage. |
| Ministry of Transport | 216 | Officers on Vehicle and Traffic Sign Inspection. |
| Ministry of Fuel and Power | 167 | Mines Inspectors. |
| Forestry Commission | 130 | District Officers. |
| Ministry of Supply | 4 | Investigation Officers. |
| Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. | 70 | Geological officers (40). |
| Scientific staff (30). | ||
| Ministry of National Insurance | 697 | |
| Ministry of Labour | 2,329 | Factory Inspectors. Wages Inspectors. Labour Supply, etc. |
| Customs and Excise | 1,800 | Officers of Customs and Excise. |
| Scottish Home Department | 64 | Inspectors of Voluntary Homes (4). |
| Dock officers (28). | ||
| Fishery officers (32) | ||
| Ministry of Agriculture for Scotland | 109 | Animal Health Division Inspectors and Research officers |
| Department ot Health for Scotland | 8 | Alkali, Housing and Public Health Inspectors. |
| Tithe Commission | 145 | Surveyors (for land inspection). |
| Total | 10,916 | |
Mr William Hall
, Colne Valley
I think I can give that undertaking. Obviously, the Government do not want to continue powers which have ceased to be essential.
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.
The House of Commons votes by dividing. Those voting Aye (yes) to any proposition walk through the division lobby to the right of the Speaker and those voting no through the lobby to the left. In each of the lobbies there are desks occupied by Clerks who tick Members' names off division lists as they pass through. Then at the exit doors the Members are counted by two Members acting as tellers. The Speaker calls for a vote by announcing "Clear the Lobbies". In the House of Lords "Clear the Bar" is called. Division Bells ring throughout the building and the police direct all Strangers to leave the vicinity of the Members’ Lobby. They also walk through the public rooms of the House shouting "division". MPs have eight minutes to get to the Division Lobby before the doors are closed. Members make their way to the Chamber, where Whips are on hand to remind the uncertain which way, if any, their party is voting. Meanwhile the Clerks who will take the names of those voting have taken their place at the high tables with the alphabetical lists of MPs' names on which ticks are made to record the vote. When the tellers are ready the counting process begins - the recording of names by the Clerk and the counting of heads by the tellers. When both lobbies have been counted and the figures entered on a card this is given to the Speaker who reads the figures and announces "So the Ayes [or Noes] have it". In the House of Lords the process is the same except that the Lobbies are called the Contents Lobby and the Not Contents Lobby. Unlike many other legislatures, the House of Commons and the House of Lords have not adopted a mechanical or electronic means of voting. This was considered in 1998 but rejected. Divisions rarely take less than ten minutes and those where most Members are voting usually take about fifteen. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P9 at the UK Parliament site.
