HC Deb 28 November 1944 vol 404 cc2394-6
52. Mr. James Griffiths

asked the Prime Minister whether the Minister of National Insurance will continue to answer Questions on reconstruction matters; and, if not, to which Minister such Questions should, in future, be addressed.

The Prime Minister

The Minister of National Insurance will be responsible only for matters affecting his new Department. Questions about the post-war problems of a single Department should continue to be addressed to the Minister in charge of that Department. Thus, Questions relating to the reconstruction aspects of trade, local government or transport should be addressed, respectively, to the President of the Board of Trade, the Minister of Health and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport. Questions on reconstructions of a general character which do not fall within the responsibility of a single Department should be addressed to my right hon. Friend the Lord President of the Council, who has undertaken to answer such Questions.

Mr. Shinwell

In view of the statement made by my right hon. Friend the other day, that it was desirable to have a Minister in this House who could address himself to the subject of works and buildings, is it not equally important that instead of having a Minister confining himself to the other House and described as "The Minister of Reconstruction," we should have such a representative in this Assembly?

The Prime Minister

No, Sir, I do not think that argument follows. There are precedents for Ministers who were conducting their work in another place with great satisfaction having retired because of the growing interest the House of Commons took in their particular topics, and the temporary and special need of having someone to deal with these matters here. The case in question, where hundreds of constituencies are affected, is one in point, but there is no intention of making a general rule, or laying down a general principle on such matters.

Mr. Shinwell

Is it not the case that we have a Minister of Reconstruction in another place, and have no representative of the Ministry of Reconstruction in this House who is directly responsible for reconstruction matters? Questions on reconstruction must be addressed to several Departments. In view of what my right hon. Friend has just said, and while expressing no opinion about the appointments he has made—I have no right to do so—may I ask whether it is not a fact that there was a respresentative of the Ministry of Works and Buildings responsible to this Assembly?

The Prime Minister

The hon. Gentleman knows as well as I do the answer to the last part of his supplementary question.

Mr. Shinwell

Tell me.

The Prime Minister

The hon. Gentleman asked me whether there was not a representative of the Ministry of Works and Buildings in this House. He knows the answer as well as I do, and can say it as well as I can.

Mr. Shinwell

If the Prime Minister agrees that the answer is in the affirmative, why then, did he say that it was necessary to have a Minister responsible to this House?

The Prime Minister

I meant a Minister in charge of the Department, responsible to this House.

57. Sir Irving Albery

asked the Prime Minister what are the present responsibilities of the Minister of Reconstruction concerning housing.

The Prime Minister

My Noble Friend the Minister of Reconstruction has a general responsibility for ensuring, on behalf of the War Cabinet, that due progress is made with the preparation of post-war plans. This responsibility naturally extends to housing, which claims a high place in our post-war programme and is an operation in which several Departments in varying degrees must play their part.

Sir I. Albery

Is the House to understand that the Minister of Reconstruction has an overriding responsibility for housing?

The Prime Minister

The Minister of Reconstruction is a member of the War Cabinet, and, as such, has continual opportunity of putting his views forward where they are most likely to lead to results being obtained. But in regard to housing, especially war damage and prefabrication, a great deal of active executive work has to be done. There is a very great difference between the careful thought and broad decisions which attend long-term planning, and the semi-wartime emergency measures which are to be taken to meet the devastation in London.

Mr. Shinwell

In view of the great perplexity which this is causing the right hon. Gentleman, would it not be desirable to appoint a Minister whose sole function would be to disentangle this puzzle?

The Prime Minister

I think that is rather a silly question to ask, and very much below the Parliamentary level which the hon. Gentleman is always endeavouring to attain.

Mr. Molson

Has the Minister of Reconstruction any co-ordinating responsibility for the actual execution of the work, or is he responsible merely for post-war planning?

The Prime Minister

There is a difference between planning and execution My Noble Friend the Minister of Reconstruction has a general responsibility over the field of housing. He would not be the Minister who would be required to handle the actual problems arising out of the crisis—I will not say the crisis but the very heavy strain which has arisen in London. For that, we would, naturally, require the use of the executive power. The Minister of Reconstruction is not in charge of a Department.

Mr. Molson

rose—

Mr. Speaker

This is becoming a Debate.