BRITISH SUPPLY MINISTRY

Southland Times, Issue 23828, 27 May 1939, Page 7

BRITISH SUPPLY MINISTRY

SCOPE LIMITED BY BILL PROBLEMS OF WAR OFFICE AND CIVIL DEFENCE (British Official Wireless) (Received May 26, 5.5 p.m.) RUGBY May 25. The text of the Bill for establishing a Ministry of Supply was issued tonight. The Bill gives general powers for the supply of any articles required for the public service, but the Minister of Supply is only to exercise powers of supply to any other Government department if that department’s supply powers for the articles required have been transferred to the Minister. Power is also given the Minister to finance an accumulation of reserves by traders if that is considered the most economical and effective way to secure the carrying out of the defence programme or, in an emergency, the maintenance of essential civil industries. Power is given to call for returns of stocks of articles required for public service and the following temporary powers are provided—to secure priority for the execution of Government orders, to requisition the output, if the exercise of the power of securing priority does not achieve the end desired, to require available storage to be placed gt the disposal of the Minister, to examine the records of contractors and to fix prices in case of a difficulty occurring as between consumer and trader on the one hand and the Government department on the other and to require the protection of essential plant. It is made clear in an accompanying memorandum that the reserved powers under the Bill are in no way intended to apply to the compulsion of labour. It is not intended that the Ministry should at present deal with more than the supply problems of the War Office and civil defence. For the Admiralty and the Air Ministry the existing supply arrangements will continue. This limitation on the Ministry’s scope is reflected in the provision for expenditure oh the salaries and allowances of the Minister, Parliamentary Secretary and the small staff, which will not at the outset exceed £40,006 a year. Whenever the exercise of new or extended powers requires it, the staff will be increased accordingly.