Oral Answers to Questions — Housing – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 27 November 1947.
Sir Arthur Harvey
, Macclesfield
12:00,
27 November 1947
asked the Minister of Health how many permanent and temporary houses have been let to agricultural workers in England, Wales and Scotland.
Sir Douglas Dodds-Parker
, Banbury
asked the Minister of Health how many applications have been made up to 31st October by local authorities for the higher rate of subsidy in respect of the number of new houses allocated to the agricultural population.
Mr Aneurin Bevan
, Ebbw Vale
The total number of new permanent houses let to agricultural workers in England and Wales since 1st April, 1945, is 3,075. The number of temporary houses so let is 610. Claims for the higher subsidies have been received in respect of 1,054 of the permanent houses. As regards Scotland I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the Secretary of State.
Sir Arthur Harvey
, Macclesfield
Will the Minister state, if he can, how many houses, both temporary and permanent, will be let during the next 12 months? What does he anticipate?
Mr Aneurin Bevan
, Ebbw Vale
I cannot anticipate the actions of the rural authorities who are responsible for making the tenancies.
Sir Arthur Harvey
, Macclesfield
Surely, the Minister must go into this matter with the rural authorities and have some guidance, or knowledge, of what is going on?
Mr Aneurin Bevan
, Ebbw Vale
The hon. and gallant Member should know that guidance has already been given to rural authorities in the selection of tenants. If the hon. and gallant Member does not know about that guidance, I will send him a copy.
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.
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.
