Oral Answers to Questions — Food Supplies – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 14 July 1947.
Mr David Renton
, Huntingdonshire
12:00,
14 July 1947
asked the Minister of Food whether he will take steps before next winter to install emergency food supply dumps in isolated districts in order to prevent a recurrence of the difficulties created through severe winter weather in the past.
Mr Evelyn Strachey
, Dundee
I am afraid that the maintenance of a number of small dumps would be wasteful in both food and manpower. My local officers already have discretion to allow people who live in isolated areas to lay in a month's stock of food in advance during the winter months, in addition to the normal four weeks' supply—thus they would have eight weeks' supply of food in the house at the beginning of each rationing period. This scheme will be well publicised later in the year to give householders in isolated areas ample time to prepare themselves against hard weather.
Mr David Renton
, Huntingdonshire
Would the Minister amplify his statement by making it clear whether it is shops and stores which will be allowed to carry these stocks or individual farmers and householders?
Mr Evelyn Strachey
, Dundee
The Question refers to individuals.
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.
