Oral Answers to Questions — Royal Navy. – in the House of Commons am ar 16 Gorffennaf 1925.
Commander WILLIAMS:
45.forasked the Prime Minister whether, in the interests of national economy, he will appoint a committee of business men from all parties in the House with full powers to examine the administration and expenditure of Government Departments, with a view to recommending to the Cabinet material reductions in expenditure?
Mr Stanley Baldwin
, Bewdley
I have already appointed a Cabinet committee in accordance with the declarations which have been made to the House. A good deal of material has already been assembled by the Treasury, and tie work will proceed without delay. I do not consider an additional inquiry by outside persons would help us.
Colonel Sir Joseph Nall
, Manchester Hulme
Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that most of the Bills at present before the House, apart altogether from the Pensions Bill, involve further expenditure, in some cases unnecessary, by the Departments?
Mr Stanley Baldwin
, Bewdley
That is true, but I am also aware that a large number of Members have been voting lately for further expenditure.
Colonel Sir Joseph Nall
, Manchester Hulme
In order to make a serious effort towards securing economy, will further money spending Bills not be introduced?
Mr Stanley Baldwin
, Bewdley
I could give that undertaking.
Mr Carlyon Bellairs
, Maidstone
Is the right hon. Gentleman aware, in regard to his demand for business men, that what are needed (for sensible men.
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.
A proposal for new legislation that is debated by Parliament.
