Oral Answers to Questions — Transport. – in the House of Commons am ar 24 Gorffennaf 1935.
Mr Clifford Glossop
, Penistone
asked the Minister of Transport why details of the number of licences granted to railway companies under the Road and Rail Traffic Act, 1933, are not kept, in view of the fact that similar information is available in respect of licences granted to road haulage contractors?
Mr Leslie Hore-Belisha
, Plymouth, Devonport
The answer to the first part of my hon. Friend's question is that the licensing authorities have been charged by Parliament with the duty of relating the number of goods vehicles on the roads to the requirements of the public, and no analysis is made or required of the ownership of the vehicles. The answer to the second part of the question is that the figures which I gave my hon. Friend on 17th July did in fact include licences granted to railway companies, and the number of vehicles operated under those licences.
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.
