– in the House of Commons am ar 6 Hydref 1931.
Sir Nicholas Grattan-Doyle
, Newcastle upon Tyne North
asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that proposals are on foot by the Guildford Rural District Council for a 60-foot by-pass road through the Shere valley; that such proposals, if carried out, would ruin the amenities of this district, and would involve heavy cost to the taxpayer; that such proposals are opposed by the Majority of the residents of the district; and, in view of the need for economy, will he withhold his sanction from this scheme?
Sir Percy Pybus
, Harwich
I am aware of proposals for a new road which would have the effect of by-passing Shere. This is part of a town-planning scheme, and interested parties will have an opportunity of voicing their objections at a local inquiry by the Ministry of Health which will be held on the 13th October. The scheme is in a preliminary stage, and no application has been made to me for financial assistance.
Sir Patrick Ford
, Edinburgh North
Will the hon. Gentleman ask the Surrey County Council to take steps in this matter without further delay?
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.
The term "majority" is used in two ways in Parliament. Firstly a Government cannot operate effectively unless it can command a majority in the House of Commons - a majority means winning more than 50% of the votes in a division. Should a Government fail to hold the confidence of the House, it has to hold a General Election. Secondly the term can also be used in an election, where it refers to the margin which the candidate with the most votes has over the candidate coming second. To win a seat a candidate need only have a majority of 1.
