Oral Answers to Questions — Ministry of Aviation – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 3 June 1964.
Mr Eric Lubbock
, Orpington
12:00,
3 June 1964
asked the Minister of Aviation if he will make a statement on the findings of the internal working party which was appointed to review the functions, methods of working, organisation and staffing of the Directorate of Technical Costs, and which has now reported.
Mr Julian Amery
, Preston North
This working party has not yet reported.
Mr Eric Lubbock
, Orpington
While the working party is considering these questions, has the Minister got nothing to say about the fact that people in the Technical Costs Department start at £712 per year and that less than half a dozen among the 300 employed in that Department have an engineering qualification? Does he not consider this an urgent enough matter on which to make a decision now?
Mr Julian Amery
, Preston North
Although the hon. Member's observations might form part of a separate Question, it would, in any case, be inappropriate for me to deal with pay and salary scales and similar matters until we have received the report of the working party and, preferably, also the report of Sir John Lang.
Mr Jack Diamond
, Gloucester
When does the right hon. Gentleman expect to receive those two reports?
Mr Julian Amery
, Preston North
I cannot give a date when I will receive the internal departmental report. That is a departmental matter. There is a Question down about the Lang report with which I shall be dealing presently.
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.