Oral Answers to Questions — Fuel and Power – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 27 November 1947.
Mr Robin Turton
, Thirsk and Malton
12:00,
27 November 1947
asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that in the Featherstone area of Yorkshire on 5th November many hundredweights of coal were -burnt on bonfires; and what action was taken by his Department and the local authority to prevent this wastage of fuel.
Mr Hugh Gaitskell
, Leeds South
I have made inquiries and am informed that in the Featherstone district on 5th November small quantities of coal slag and dust collected by children from local slag heaps or from unusable residue of miners "home" coal left as refuse to be cleared away by the local authority were burnt on a few bonfires. There is no evidence whatever to support the suggestion in the question that many hundredweights of coal were thus consumed.
Mr Robin Turton
, Thirsk and Malton
Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the "unusable residue of miners' 'home' coal" was far better quality material than my constituents are receiving?
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.
