§ Q10. Sir F. Bennettasked the Prime Minister which Minister he has appointed to carry out the official duties of the former Paymaster-General, other than those connected with security.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Office of Paymaster-General is not one which needs to be continuously filled, Sir, and, indeed, since the post in its present form was created by Statute in 1835 there have been seven earlier periods in which the Office was temporarily vacant, among the longest of which was the period between December, 1955 and October, 1956.
§ Sir F. BennettCan the Prime Minister now answer my Question, which was quite specific? I repeat, which Minister will now fulfil these duties, other than those of security, which have been handed to the noble Lord, Lord Shackleton, in another place? If the former Paymaster-General had no other duties, what was the taxpayers' money being spent on in supporting a Minister whose only duties, according to the right hon. Gentleman, can be carried out part-time by another Minister?
§ The Prime MinisterThe various tasks allocated to the former Paymaster-General from time to time in accordance with the usual practice on non-Departmental functions—
§ Sir F. BennettWho is going to do them?
§ The Prime Minister—will now be shared by the other non-Departmental Ministers. But, as I have said, I never allocated to him what right hon. Gentlemen opposite used to allocate to their non-Departmental Ministers—namely, party jobs at the taxpayers' expense.