Oral Answers to Questions — Trade and Commerce – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 8 July 1947.
Sir Allan Noble
, Chelsea
12:00,
8 July 1947
asked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent the delivery of goods by retail traders has been resumed; whether the expense of this service is allowed for in the margins of retail profit fixed by his and other Departments; and whether he is satisfied with the present position of the delivery system.
Mr John Belcher
, Sowerby
I have no exact information as to the extent to which retailers have resumed delivery services and I am not in a position to express an opinion on their adequacy. Some allowance for delivery costs is made in the margins fixed for retailers, but not on a scale designed to encourage a return to the elaborate service given by some shopkeepers before the war.
Sir Allan Noble
, Chelsea
Does the Minister think that some increase in delivery would help to relieve the congestion in the shops?
Mr John Belcher
, Sowerby
That may be the case, and as I have said, there is an allowance for delivery charges in the present margin. In view of the present shortage of labour in the manufacturing and producing industries, we do not desire to encourage a return to the over-plus of labour in the distributive industry.
Sir William Darling
, Edinburgh South
Is not the hon. Gentleman of the opinion that it would be better to extend the system of retail delivery than extend the queues in front of the shops?
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.
