Oral Answers to Questions — Motor Traffic. – in the House of Commons am ar 7 Gorffennaf 1925.
Mr George Hardie
, Glasgow Springburn
asked the Chancellor of the exchequer whether he will bring before the House for confirmation all transactions of the Trade Facilities Committee, or any arrangement for subsidy to industries?
Mr Winston Churchill
, Epping
As regards Trade Facilities the conditions under which the Treasury may give guarantees, the total limit to such guarantees and the period within which they may be given are ail prescribed by Statute, while succeeding Governments have undertaken to abide by the undertaking given at the time of the passing of the Trade Facilities Act, namely, that in granting guarantees they will follow the advice of the independent Trade Facilities Act Advisory Committee. Guarantees given are regularly reported to Parliament but to introduce a further stage of confirmation by Parliament is impracticable as a matter of machinery and would defeat the purpose of the scheme. As regards the latter part of the question, the Government could not make any arrangement for subsidy to industries without Parliamentary authority.
The chancellor of the exchequer is the government's chief financial minister and as such is responsible for raising government revenue through taxation or borrowing and for controlling overall government spending.
The chancellor's plans for the economy are delivered to the House of Commons every year in the Budget speech.
The chancellor is the most senior figure at the Treasury, even though the prime minister holds an additional title of 'First Lord of the Treasury'. He normally resides at Number 11 Downing Street.