Oral Answers to Questions — Local Government – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 4 July 1963.
Mrs. Butler:
asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will amend the Town and Country Planning Use Classes Order to enable the number of betting offices in an area to be taken into account by local authorities when applications for betting offices are considered.
Mr Frederick Corfield
, Gloucestershire South
It is for the licensing justices to control the number of betting offices under the Betting and Gaming Act, 1960, and my right hon. Friend thinks that it would be wrong to try to duplicate the control under planning powers. The Use Classes Order would not, in any event, be an appropriate instrument for the purpose which the hon. Lady has in mind.
Mrs. Butler:
Is the Minister aware of the concern of local authorities about the flood of applications for new betting offices which come before them, and about their lack of planning powers to reduce these applications even where the number of betting offices in an area is already excessive? Since this planning aspect is entirely the responsibility of the Minister, will he take whatever action is appropriate to give local authorities these planning powers?
Mr Frederick Corfield
, Gloucestershire South
I have no knowledge of any representations from local planning authorities on this score. I can see no possible objective in duplicating powers that already exist.
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.
