Oral Answers to Questions — Ireland. – in the House of Commons am ar 13 Gorffennaf 1922.
Sir Arthur Fell
, Great Yarmouth
asked the Minister of Health why proceedings are not taken against the persons owning furnaces and factories or buildings used for trade which fail to consume the smoke emitted from their chimneys; and, in view of the chimneys that can be seen from every bridge across the Thames pouring out black and unconsumed smoke, will he say how many prosecutions for this offence were instituted by the sanitary authority last year?
Sir Alfred Mond
, Gorllewin Abertawe
I understand that in London there was one prosecution last year, and five, so far, this year. I would refer my hon. Friend to the Report of the Smoke Abatement Committee as to the difficulty of administering the existing law. The Government hope shortly to introduce a Bill on the subject.
Sir Arthur Fell
, Great Yarmouth
Have the police instructions to report these cases when they see people obviously breaking the law?
Sir Harry Brittain
, Acton
Is it not a fact that the greater part of the smoke complained of comes from domestic grates and not from factories?
Sir Alfred Mond
, Gorllewin Abertawe
I could not answer a controversial question of that kind.
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.
