§ 50. Sir GODFREY BARINGasked the Prime Minister if he will state the present number of Ministers of the Crown, and the total amount of the salaries paid to these Ministers?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWThe answer to the first part of the question is thirty-four, and to the second part £133,500.
§ Mr. SWIFT MacNEILLDoes the right hon. Gentleman only include Members who, in ordinary circumstances, should be Cabinet Ministers or does he include Under-Secretaries? Does not the whole company, with Secretaries and Under-Secretaries, who are not Ministers of the Cabinet, amount to eighty-two—two full quorums of the House of Commons?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWThis answer includes those who in ordinary times are designated Ministers. It does not include Under-Secretaries.
§ 62 and 63. Sir CHARLES HOBHOUSEasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what is the number of additional Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries appointed since the present Government took office, and what is the total yearly sum to be paid to them; (2) what is the number of Departments created since the Government took office, and the number and total pay of the officials appointed thereto; and what number of buildings have been requisitioned or erected to house these Departments and officials?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWThe new Departments created by the present Government in addition to the Labour and Pensions Ministries are those under the food Controller, the Shipping Controller, and the Director of National Service. The names of the Ministers and of the Parliamentary Secretaries have been already announced as well as the salaries, with the exception of that of the Director of National Service, whose salary will be fixed at £2,000 a year. The Ministries are housed as follows:—
- 1. Labour in Montagu House.
- 2. Pensions: The Headquarters in Great George Street, with branches at Tate Gallery, Duke of York's School, Chelsea; Baker Street, Marylebone Town Hall.
- 3. Food: Controller in Grosvenor House, with branches at 18 and 29, Upper Grosvener Street and 35, Park Street.
974 - 4. Shipping: Controller in the Transport Department of the Admiralty, with a branch in the Lake Buildings, St. James's Park.
- 5. National Service in St. Ermin's Hotel: Details of the staff would necessarily be accurate only for the actual date on which they were prepared, and to give them would involve an amount of work on the part of officials, which, in view of the high pressure in all Departments, it would not, in my opinion, be right to ask them to undertake.
§ Sir C. HOBHOUSECan the right hon. Gentleman answer the first part of the question as to the number of additional Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries appointed since the present Government took office?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI have already answered that.
§ Sir C. HOBHOUSEI do not think the right hon. Gentleman gave the total number?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI hope my right hon. Friend is not unwilling to look up the previous statement himself.