Oral Answers to Questions — Housing – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 26 June 1947.
Brigadier Ralph Rayner
, Totnes
12:00,
26 June 1947
asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that applications for the financial grant in respect of cottages built privately for essential agricultural workers have been refused on the ground that the cottages carry a service tenancy; and, in view of the acute shortage of agricultural dwellings, if he will take steps to ensure that the building of new ones is not discouraged by any discriminatory ruling.
Mr Aneurin Bevan
, Ebbw Vale
No, Sir; it is only cottages carrying a service tenancy which attract subsidy under Section 13 of the Housing (Financial and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1946.
Brigadier Ralph Rayner
, Totnes
Will the Minister agree that private owners only attempt to build agricultural cottages if they are urgently required, and will he undertake that where the grant is refused he will find the cottages in some other way within a period of two years?
Mr Aneurin Bevan
, Ebbw Vale
Cottages are being provided in the countryside to a far larger extent than for many years past. But we are not prepared to give public money to subsidise tied cottages.
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.
