Oral Answers to Questions — Russia. – in the House of Commons at on 6 December 1920.
Commander Hon. Joseph Kenworthy
, Kingston upon Hull Central
asked the Prime Minister whether he can yet make any statement with regard to the prospects of trade with Russia and Siberia during the coming year for the information of British merchants and manufacturers; and whether the French Government has raised no objection in principle to trade between French business houses and subjects of the Russian Soviet Government?
Mr David Lloyd George
, Caernarvon District of Boroughs
Pending the conclusion of the negotiations with the Russian Trade Delegation and the receipt of further information respecting the economic condition in Russia and Siberia, it is not possible to me to form an estimate as to the prospects of British trade with those countries during the coming year. With regard to the last part of the question, the French Prime Minister recently announced in the Chamber that French business men may trade with Russia at their own risk.
Commander Hon. Joseph Kenworthy
, Kingston upon Hull Central
Has the right hon. Gentleman seen the article in the "Sunday Express" yesterday by the Secretary of State for War that we should not trade in any circumstances with Soviet Russia? Does that represent the views of the Cabinet?
Mr David Lloyd George
, Caernarvon District of Boroughs
My right hon. Friend never did anything of the sort.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
The cabinet is the group of twenty or so (and no more than 22) senior government ministers who are responsible for running the departments of state and deciding government policy.
It is chaired by the prime minister.
The cabinet is bound by collective responsibility, which means that all its members must abide by and defend the decisions it takes, despite any private doubts that they might have.
Cabinet ministers are appointed by the prime minister and chosen from MPs or peers of the governing party.
However, during periods of national emergency, or when no single party gains a large enough majority to govern alone, coalition governments have been formed with cabinets containing members from more than one political party.
War cabinets have sometimes been formed with a much smaller membership than the full cabinet.
From time to time the prime minister will reorganise the cabinet in order to bring in new members, or to move existing members around. This reorganisation is known as a cabinet re-shuffle.
The cabinet normally meets once a week in the cabinet room at Downing Street.
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.
