Oral Answers to Questions — Food Supplies – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 1 December 1947.
Sir John Mellor
, Sutton Coldfield
12:00,
1 December 1947
asked the Minister of Food which hotels have been required to cancel meat coupons in ration books of residents and staff, to whom no meat could be offered; and in what circumstances.
Mr Evelyn Strachey
, Dundee
All catering establishments are required to cancel the appropriate meat coupons from the ration documents of their residents. In view of the exceptional circumstance, however, I have exempted the Savoy group of hotels from these requirements whilst meat is not available to them.
Sir John Mellor
, Sutton Coldfield
What is the sense of justice in requiring any hotel to cancel coupons when meat cannot be supplied?
Mr Evelyn Strachey
, Dundee
I do not think the question arises in other circumstances. The meat could be supplied in other circumstances.
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.
