Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture. – in the House of Commons am ar 6 Gorffennaf 1925.
Mr Arthur Dixey
, Penrith and Cockermouth
asked the Prime Minister whether the Civil Research Committee which is to consider the position of the iron and steel trades is now sitting, and at what intervals; what is the composition of the same; and have any instructions been given to the Committee by the Government?
Mr Albert Alexander
, Sheffield, Hillsborough
asked the Prime Minister what are the terms of reference to the Civil Research Committee with regard to the inquiry by that Committee concerning the iron and steel industry?
Mr Stanley Baldwin
, Bewdley
The position in the iron and steel industry has been remitted to the Committee of Civil Research by the Cabinet. As regards the remaining parts of the questions, it would be contrary to the established practice to give the terms of reference, the names of members, or other information relating to a Cabinet committee.
Captain William Benn
, Leith
For what reason was the application of this industry under the Safeguarding Bill rejected by the Board of Trade?
Mr Stanley Baldwin
, Bewdley
I think a statement on that matter was made on the Vote for the Ministry of Labour.
Mr Arthur Dixey
, Penrith and Cockermouth
Can the right hon. Gentleman say when the Committee is supposed to report?
Mr Stanley Baldwin
, Bewdley
No, I cannot.
Captain William Benn
, Leith
In view of the fact that no statement was made, did this industry fail to satisfy the prima facie conditions?
Mr Stanley Baldwin
, Bewdley
I will ask the hon. and gallant Gentleman to put that question down.
Cabinet committees are established by the prime minister to enable the cabinet to deal more efficiently with the large volume of government business.
All cabinet committees are chaired by the prime minister or a senior cabinet minister and will have a number of cabinet ministers as members. Some are permanent committees while others are set up to deal with particular issues as they arise.
Cabinet committees carry out the bulk of cabinet work and the decisions they take have the authority of full cabinet. If a committee cannot agree on an issue it will be sent to the full cabinet for a final decision.
Some cabinet committees have sub-committees that do not usually taking final decisions on policy, but can enable important discussion of those issues which range across government departments.
The cabinet is the group of twenty or so (and no more than 22) senior government ministers who are responsible for running the departments of state and deciding government policy.
It is chaired by the prime minister.
The cabinet is bound by collective responsibility, which means that all its members must abide by and defend the decisions it takes, despite any private doubts that they might have.
Cabinet ministers are appointed by the prime minister and chosen from MPs or peers of the governing party.
However, during periods of national emergency, or when no single party gains a large enough majority to govern alone, coalition governments have been formed with cabinets containing members from more than one political party.
War cabinets have sometimes been formed with a much smaller membership than the full cabinet.
From time to time the prime minister will reorganise the cabinet in order to bring in new members, or to move existing members around. This reorganisation is known as a cabinet re-shuffle.
The cabinet normally meets once a week in the cabinet room at Downing Street.
