Oral Answers to Questions — Housing – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 22 June 1954.
Mr Woodrow Wyatt
, Birmingham Aston
12:00,
22 June 1954
asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government why it is proposed to cancel Defence Regulation No. 68CB after 10th December this year.
Mr Ernest Marples
, Wallasey
Now that houses are being built in great numbers this emergency provision, which was always intended to be temporary, can no longer be justified.
Mr Woodrow Wyatt
, Birmingham Aston
As there are many thousands, if not millions, of people who are affected by the Defence Regulation and it is a delusion on the part of the Government to think that they have built enough houses for everybody, cannot the Minister retain this very valuable Regulation which provides important powers?
Mr Ernest Marples
, Wallasey
I am afraid that I cannot accept the premises on which the hon. Gentleman bases his supplementary question. Extensive use of the Regulation was hardly made except in the case of one or two towns, notably Nottingham. It is largely redundant now. It is not necessary, and my right hon. Friend can see no justification for its continuance. The Association of Municipal Corporations agree with the view that the Defence Regulation should he abolished, although they would like it retained for about six months.
Mr Woodrow Wyatt
, Birmingham Aston
If the hon. Gentleman is provided with information from Birmingham to show that the Defence Regulation is not redundant, will he consider retaining it?
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.
