Oral Answers to Questions — Overseas Information Services – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 30 Gorffennaf 1964.
Mr John Stonehouse
, Wednesbury
12:00,
30 Gorffennaf 1964
asked the Prime Minister if, in view of the problems disclosed by the Report of the Town and Country Planning Association on Housing in Britain, a copy of which has already been sent to the Department concerned, he will divide the functions of the Minister of Housing and Local Government and appoint a Minister of Housing in charge of a separate department.
Sir Alec Douglas-Home
, Kinross and West Perthshire
No, Sir. The Report provides no grounds for such action. Housing, planning and public health are all inter-related; and as these services are among the most important responsibilities of local authorities it is advantageous for the Minister of Housing to be responsible for local government as well.
Mr John Stonehouse
, Wednesbury
Is the Prime Minister aware that this comprehensive survey confirms the failure of Conservative Administrations to cope with the housing problem? Apart from overcrowding and high rents, the Report refers to the fact that there are over I million unfit houses in the United Kingdom. Is the right hon. Gentleman further aware that over the last ten years this country has almost the lowest performance of housebuilding in proportion to its population of any country in Europe? Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that the housing problem in this country will not be dealt with adequately until a Minister is appointed who puts people's needs before profiteering?
Sir Alec Douglas-Home
, Kinross and West Perthshire
If I were to go into comparisons with the performance of hon. Members opposite, I do not think that they would come out very well. It seems to me common sense that the Minister of Housing should deal with local authorities on all planning matters and therefore that this should be within his portfolio.
Lord Balniel
, Hertford
In view of the lamentably ill-informed supplementary question of the hon. Member for Wednes-bury (Mr. Stonehouse), may I ask my right hon. Friend whether he has seen the recent indications that the Government's housing programme of 400,000 houses a year will be reached next year? Can my right hon. Friend say whether this will be the case or not?
Sir Alec Douglas-Home
, Kinross and West Perthshire
Yes, Sir, I think that it will. In 1965 we hope to reach the 400,000 mark.
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.
