Oral Answers to Questions — Motor Traffic. – in the House of Commons am ar 7 Gorffennaf 1925.
Sir Harry Brittain
, Acton
asked the Prime Minister whether he is prepared to consider the suggestion, widely supported by representative employers and employed, that a Commission comprising leading men of all parties in the House should be set up with power to work together, without consideration of any party politics, with the object of discovering a real remedy for the evil of unemployment; whether, if such a Commission were formed, he would give facilities for its action to be made effective; and whether the Commission could be empowered to call upon independent leaders of industry, commerce and labour to share its deliberations and assist in putting its conclusions into operation?
Mr Stanley Baldwin
, Bewdley
I would remind my hon. Friend that a strong Committee under the chairmanship of Sir Arthur Balfour was set up last July to inquire into the conditions and prospects of British industry and commerce, and is still at work, and that the problems presented by the iron and steel industry have been, within the last few days, referred specially to the Committee of Civil Research. In addition, there is a Committee of the Cabinet continuously in being, which promotes and co-ordinates Government action in all measures for the relief of unemployment. The last thing I should wish to do is to reject without full consideration any suggestion which seems to contain the promise of fruitful results, but I am bound to say that I cannot at present sec the advantage of appointing a Commission such as my hon. Friend suggests, in addition to the bodies which, as I have explained, are already dealing with the matter from various aspects.
Captain William Benn
, Leith
Can the Prime Minister say when the steel report is likely to be received.
Mr Stanley Baldwin
, Bewdley
No, Sir.
Mr Albert Alexander
, Sheffield, Hillsborough
With reference to the first part of the Prime Minister's answer, could he say whether it is intended to issue an interim report by the Balfour Committee on Trade and Industry? I put the question yesterday on the Board of Trade Vote, but received no answer.
Mr Stanley Baldwin
, Bewdley
I do not know about that, but perhaps the hon. Member will put down a question.
Mr James Maxton
, Glasgow Bridgeton
Does the right hon. Gentleman hope shortly to have a report from the Co-ordination Cabinet committee?
Mr James Maxton
, Glasgow Bridgeton
Are we to assume that there is nothing doing anywhere?
Mr Stanley Baldwin
, Bewdley
I believe that my hon. Friend probably will make that assumption in any event.
Mr James Maxton
, Glasgow Bridgeton
Does the right hon. Gentleman not think that that assumption is justified from his answer?
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.
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.
