Oral Answers to Questions — Trade and Commerce – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 8 July 1947.
Mr Stanley Prescott
, Darwen
12:00,
8 July 1947
asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the allocation of flannel cloth for men's and women's wear, respectively.
Mr John Belcher
, Sowerby
Flannel of different types is used for a wide variety of garments for adults and children and there is no reservation of specific quantities for men's or women's wear.
Mr Stanley Prescott
, Darwen
Does not the hon. Gentleman think that it is rather fantastic that there should be plenty of women's trousers but very great difficulty in getting men's trousers? Will the right hon. Gentleman agree that trousers are more suitable to a man than a woman, and what will he do about it?
Mr John Belcher
, Sowerby
I have no desire to go into the aesthetics of the matter, but I am inclined to agree with the latter part of the hon. Gentleman's supplementary question. We have asked the Wool Control to make representations to the manufacturers, as they have done, and ISSS hope as a result we shall shortly see a change in the balance as between men and women.
Mr. Baldwin:
Is the Minister aware that the reason for the shortage of men's trousers is that the same type of trousers for women are allowed to be charged at 10s. more than men's trousers?
Mr John Belcher
, Sowerby
That is borne in mind.
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.
