The Ministry of Production
We are to have a Ministry of Production with Lord Beaver- brook as its head. All the existing services remain under their separate responsible Ministers—those of the Admiralty, the Ministry of Supply, and the Ministry of Aircraft Production. Nothing is abolished except the Production Executive, whose duties are divided between the new Minister of Supply and the Minister of Labour, each of whom is responsible only to the Prime Minister and the War Cabinet. If we ask what the new Minister is to do—since he is not the executive chief of any supply department—we learn that he is to allocate materials and
resources of productive capacity, settle priorities, and " supers. and guide " the departments concerned (which include all defence supply departments except in regard to shipyard capar and ship work controlled by the Admiralty, and also the Boa.. of Trade and the Office of Works on their productive sides). first sight it might appear that he is to be a mere " co-ordinator with nebulous powers of " guidance " ; but evidently it is in power to be much more than that, since he controls the supp of raw materials and factory capacity ; just as the control of the purse fortifies the Chancellor of the Exchequer, so control d materials would fortify a determined Minister of Production. 1. the other hand, he does not control all the supplies ; the supply of labour is not in his hands, but in that of the Minister of Labour, Mr. Bevin. Lord Beaverbrook will have the whip-hand over 'the production departments by controlling supplies et materials ; Mr. Bevin by controlling supplies of man-power. Here is a duality which will demand ideal compatibility of temperament between Lord Beaverbrook and Mr. Bevin. We can only qua that grace will be bestowed on both of them.
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