§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Prime Minister if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the changes in departmental functions which he has introduced on forming his administration.
§ The Prime MinisterIn place of the single Department of Trade and Industry three new Departments have been established. These are the Department of Industry, the Department of Trade and the Department of Prices and Consumer Protection.
The Department of Industry is responsible for general industrial policy both national and regional, and for the sponsorship of individual manufacturing industries, including iron and steel, aircraft and shipbuilding; for technical services to industry; and for industrial development and finance.
The Department of Trade is responsible for general overseas trade policy, commercial relations, exports and tariffs. It is in addition responsible for civil aviation and marine and shipping policy; for companies legislation; for the insurance, film, tourism, newspaper and publishing industries; and for the distributive and service trades.
The Department of Prices and Consumer Protection is the focal point of measures to deal with prices generally. It sponsors the Price Commission and deals with the whole range of prices in the shops, including food prices. The Department deals with consumer affairs generally and has functions in the field 179W of consumer protection, consumer credit and standards, weights and measures. It has responsibility for policy on monopolies, mergers and restrictive practices and the Director General of Fair Trading reports to its Secretary of State.
The Department of Industry will provide certain common services to all three Departments and its regional offices will serve both these Departments and the Department of Energy.
The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications will be abolished. The Secretary of State for Industry will assume responsibility for the Post Office, while the Home Secretary will be responsible for broadcasting policy and the functions of the Ministry in relation to the Wireless Telegraph Acts. Pending its formal abolition and the transfer of functions by order, the office of Minister of Posts and Telecommunications is being held, on an interim basis, by the Secretary of State for Industry.
We intend to introduce shortly the necessary legislation to re-establish a separate Department to deal with overseas aid and development. Meanwhile the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth affairs has delegated to the Minister of Overseas Development his administrative responsibilities in this field.