– in the House of Commons at on 9 December 1920.
Sir Harry Brittain
, Acton
asked the Prime Minister what is the cost per month of our occupation of Palestine; what, if anything, is the return; and whether the time has now arrived for us to relieve ourselves of this financial responsibility?
Mr David Lloyd George
, Caernarvon District of Boroughs
I would refer my hon. Friend to the replies given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War on this subject on the 26th October and on the 23rd November, to which I have nothing to add. With regard to the last part of the question, the British forces in Palestine are already in course of reduction.
Sir Harry Brittain
, Acton
Having been put off twice by the Minister for War, to whom I addressed this question, may I ask my right hon. Friend, seeing that we have to make big cuts somewhere in regard to national expense, whether we could make them anywhere better than by taking away the forces from Palestine
Mr David Lloyd George
, Caernarvon District of Boroughs
That is a big question of policy I am willing to discuss, but the Secretary of State for War made the fullest answer on the 26th October.
Commander Hon. Joseph Kenworthy
, Kingston upon Hull Central
Is it not a fact that the civil administration in Palestine is now self-supporting?
Mr David Lloyd George
, Caernarvon District of Boroughs
Yes, I believe it is.
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.
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.
