Oral Answers to Questions — Ministry of Works – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 30 June 1947.
Mr Alfred Bossom
, Maidstone
12:00,
30 June 1947
asked the Minister of Works if he has had prepared a complete time and progress schedule for the construction of the new House of Commons.
Mr Charles Key
, Poplar Bow and Bromley
The rebuilding of the House of Commons involves a number of stages, each covered by a separate contract. Schedules were prepared for the earlier contracts, and that for the present and final contract is now in the last stages of preparation.
Mr Alfred Bossom
, Maidstone
Would the Minister be so good as to put a copy of that time and progress schedule in the Library so that other people can see that it is really a practicable proposition?
Mr Charles Key
, Poplar Bow and Bromley
I will certainly give careful consideration to that suggestion.
Sir Patrick Hannon
, Birmingham Moseley
Will the Minister say how far he has been embarrassed in the reconstruction of the Chamber by lack of steel? Has all the steel he requires for the Chamber been supplied?
Mr Charles Key
, Poplar Bow and Bromley
A brief look out of the window will show that the necessary steel has been made available.
The House of Commons is one of the houses of parliament. Here, elected MPs (elected by the "commons", i.e. the people) debate. In modern times, nearly all power resides in this house. In the commons are 650 MPs, as well as a speaker and three deputy speakers.
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.
