Oral Answers to Questions — Transport – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 8 Ebrill 1964.
Wing Commander Sir Robert Grant-Ferris
, Nantwich
12:00,
8 Ebrill 1964
asked the Minister of Transport what was the revenue of the British Waterways Board from sales of water in 1963.
Mr Ernest Marples
, Wallasey
Six hundred and nine thousand and fifty-seven pounds. As the Board points out in its Interim Report on "The Future of the Waterways", there are also a number of cases in which water is taken free or at unduly low rates.
Wing Commander Sir Robert Grant-Ferris
, Nantwich
Can my right hon. Friend say whether several hundred millions of gallons of water are taken annually from the Chesterfield Canal by the Staveley Iron and Chemical Company? Is it not about time that some of these people paid something for the water they get?
Mr Ernest Marples
, Wallasey
I quite agree that this company takes a great amount of water, but it is primarily a matter for the Board within its management responsibility. I understand that for some time it has been trying to negotiate a reasonable and proper arrangement with this company, but it has not yet been successful. The Board is trying to get a reasonable sum, but the company is standing on its rights which date back to 1771.
Mr Carol Johnson
, Lewisham South
Has the Board a statutory power to deal with this unfortunate situation disclosed by the replies which the Minister has given to this Question?
Mr Ernest Marples
, Wallasey
No, and that is one of the problems in this case. The Board at present has no statutory power to levy a charge on this water, but, as my noble Friend Lord Hastings said in Another place, where there were out of date or burdensome obligations to provide water free or cheaply, it seemed fair that Parliament should consider whether in the context of future waterways legislation they ought to continue. In the interim Report the Board foresees the need for general legislation. This question of proper payment for water supply might well be a matter to be dealt with in that legislation.
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.
During a debate members of the House of Commons traditionally refer to the House of Lords as 'another place' or 'the other place'.
Peers return the gesture when they speak of the Commons in the same way.
This arcane form of address is something the Labour Government has been reviewing as part of its programme to modernise the Houses of Parliament.
