Oral Answers to Questions — Ministry of Supply – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 19 April 1948.
Sir John Mellor
, Sutton Coldfield
12:00,
19 April 1948
asked the Minister of Supply why stocks of zinc oxide in the United Kingdom are in excess of requirements.
Mr George Strauss
, Lambeth North
There has been no restriction on the supply of zinc oxide to the home market because of its importance as an industrial raw material. The position is being examined, but present indications are that there is not a general surplus.
Sir John Mellor
, Sutton Coldfield
Will the right hon. Gentleman say why the director of non-ferrous metals has refused permission to one of my constituents to export to Egypt 25 tons of zinc oxide which he is unable to sell in this country?
Mr George Strauss
, Lambeth North
We do not want to encourage exports of this material, because it is a dollar raw material and the conversion value is so low that we have limited the export to a small amount.
Sir John Mellor
, Sutton Coldfield
Does the right hon. Gentleman appreciate that the 25 tons of zinc oxide were lying idle and that if he will not let them be exported they cannot be sold at all?
Mr George Strauss
, Lambeth North
They will be sold before very long. If there was a surplus of zinc oxide, then the thing to do would be to limit the supply of zinc to the zinc oxide makers.
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.
