Oral Answers to Questions — National Finance – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 28 July 1964.
Mr Frank Hayman
, Falmouth and Camborne
12:00,
28 July 1964
asked the Chancellor of the exchequer whether he will arrange for hon. Members using their own cars for journeys to and from their constituencies to be paid the cost of a first-class return rail ticket.
Mr Alan Green
, Preston South
The present scheme allows Members to claim for the cost of the petrol needed for travel by the most direct route. I would suggest that consideration of any changes in this scheme should be deferred until the Committee on the Remuneration of Members of Parliament and Ministers of the Crown has reported.
Mr Frank Hayman
, Falmouth and Camborne
May I ask the Minister whether he will take account of the fact that an hon. Member can get a free voucher for first-class rail travel between Westminster and his Constituency and equally in respect of air travel, but if he uses his own car he merely gets the cost of the petrol? Does the hon. Gentleman consider that fair? Would he ask his right hon. Friend to request the Committee sitting under the chairmanship of Sir Geoffrey Lawrence to consider the whole question?
Mr Alan Green
, Preston South
The appearance of the hon. Gentleman's Question and my Answer in HANSARD will achieve the real purpose which the hon. Member has in mind.
Mr Alan Green
, Preston South
I think that the same reply applies to my hon. Friend's supplementary question.
The chancellor of the exchequer is the government's chief financial minister and as such is responsible for raising government revenue through taxation or borrowing and for controlling overall government spending.
The chancellor's plans for the economy are delivered to the House of Commons every year in the Budget speech.
The chancellor is the most senior figure at the Treasury, even though the prime minister holds an additional title of 'First Lord of the Treasury'. He normally resides at Number 11 Downing Street.
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.
In a general election, each Constituency chooses an MP to represent them. MPs have a responsibility to represnt the views of the Constituency in the House of Commons. There are 650 Constituencies, and thus 650 MPs. A citizen of a Constituency is known as a Constituent
