– in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 27 October 1947.
Mr Daniel Lipson
, Cheltenham
12:00,
27 October 1947
asked the Prime Minister if he is aware of the widespread surprise and regret caused by his recent refusal to receive a deputation of responsible motoring organisations to discuss the abolition of the basic ration; and if he will now reconsider his decision and express his willingness to meet the deputation.
Mr Clement Attlee
, Stepney Limehouse
The decision to abolish the petrol ration was taken by the Government only after the most careful consideration and in view of the paramount necessity for saving dollars. I did not consider, therefore, that any useful purpose would have been served by my receiving a deputation from the motoring organisations. In so far as these organisations wish to discuss in detail the operation of the Government decision, it would be more appropriate for them to approach the Minister directly concerned and I understand, in fact, that my right hon. Friend, the Minister of Fuel and Power, will receive a deputation from them tomorrow.
Mr Daniel Lipson
, Cheltenham
Is the Prime Minister aware that the lives of a great many people are affected by this decision and it did seem to some of us like lack of sympathy to refuse to receive a deputation? Are the Minister of Fuel and Power and the Cabinet prepared to reconsider the matter after further representations?
Mr Clement Attlee
, Stepney Limehouse
That is exactly the danger of receiving a deputation. One may give them a false idea about changes that are to be taken. On the general question which the hon. Member put to me, I receive a great number of requests to receive deputations but my time is limited. I endeavour to see those where detailed questions are discussed, but general questions of Government policy are not suitable to be dealt with by a deputation to the Prime Minister.
Major Guy Lloyd
, Renfrewshire Eastern
Will the Prime Minister advise the people of Scotland, who are very indignant about this basic petrol ration, to avoid making representations to him but rather to go to the Secretary of State for Scotland to make their representations?
Mr Clement Attlee
, Stepney Limehouse
No, Sir. I think the correct thing would be to see the Minister of Fuel and Power.
Mr Emrys Hughes
, South Ayrshire
Is the Prime Minister aware that a statement has been made that the enormous sum of £30 million a year is spent on petrol for the Armed Forces and will he consider a further reduction?
Mr Clement Attlee
, Stepney Limehouse
That matter was taken up some time ago and a very close inspection was made into the use of oil and petrol by the Armed Forces. Reductions have been effected.
Sir Patrick Hannon
, Birmingham Moseley
Is the Prime Minister really aware of the intense resentment felt throughout the country at the action of His Majesty's Government, and, as he is now responsible for so much in the way of continuity of production and maintenance of output, could he not take into consideration the dislocation of industry which is bound to follow from the abolition of the petrol ration?
Mr Clement Attlee
, Stepney Limehouse
I have taken all these matters into full consideration.
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.
The cabinet is the group of twenty or so (and no more than 22) senior government ministers who are responsible for running the departments of state and deciding government policy.
It is chaired by the prime minister.
The cabinet is bound by collective responsibility, which means that all its members must abide by and defend the decisions it takes, despite any private doubts that they might have.
Cabinet ministers are appointed by the prime minister and chosen from MPs or peers of the governing party.
However, during periods of national emergency, or when no single party gains a large enough majority to govern alone, coalition governments have been formed with cabinets containing members from more than one political party.
War cabinets have sometimes been formed with a much smaller membership than the full cabinet.
From time to time the prime minister will reorganise the cabinet in order to bring in new members, or to move existing members around. This reorganisation is known as a cabinet re-shuffle.
The cabinet normally meets once a week in the cabinet room at Downing Street.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
