Oral Answers to Questions — Education – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 6 Tachwedd 1947.
Mr Peter Freeman
, Newport (Monmouthshire/Gwent)
12:00,
6 Tachwedd 1947
asked the Minister of Education whether he is aware of the recent case in Stafford where 28 boys, all aged about 13 years, were flogged with a rope; that no action was taken against the master who administered this punishment and who was not even reprimanded; whether such punishment is in accordance with the regulations approved by him; or what steps he proposes to take in the matter.
Mr George Tomlinson
, Farnworth
I have received full reports of the special meetings of the Governors and of the Staffordshire local education authority which investigated this incident and I am satisfied that there are no grounds for my Intervention.
Mr Peter Freeman
, Newport (Monmouthshire/Gwent)
Is it not a fact that one of these boys was struck four times and that no explanation was given? Is it not most undesirable that such mass punishments should take place?
Mr George Tomlinson
, Farnworth
Having read the evidence, I fail to connect it with the statement in regard to the individual being struck four times. I am convinced that the action taken by the education committee is sufficient.
Sir Norman Hulbert
, Stockport
Is not this much ado about nothing?
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.
An intervention is when the MP making a speech is interrupted by another MP and asked to 'give way' to allow the other MP to intervene on the speech to ask a question or comment on what has just been said.
