Oral Answers to Questions — Naval and Military Pensions and Grants. – in the House of Commons at on 14 February 1924.
Sir Kingsley Wood
, Woolwich West
asked the Prime Minister whether any special arrangements have been made in connection with the appointment of the Lord Advocate; whether he is in any way responsible for the policy of the Government; and whether he has received any representations from the Faculty of Advocates or other bodies in connection with such appointment?
Mr John Clynes
, Manchester Platting
As regards the first two parts of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the correspondence which was published in the Press on the 9th instant. The appointment was made on the responsibility of the Prima Minister, who informed himself fully on the matter, and I would refer the hon. Member to the Memorandum which was submitted to the Prime Minister by the Lord President of the Court of Session, and was published in the Press on the 7th instant.
Sir Kingsley Wood
, Woolwich West
Is there any truth in the statement constantly made by supporters of the right hon. Gentleman that the Prime Minister was bullied into this appointment by the Faculty of Advocates?
Mr James Hogge
, Edinburgh East
Can the Lord Advocate be seen at Dover House in. Whitehall, or can Scottish Members see him only in Edinburgh? Are his duties such as will bring him to London so that he will be accessible to Scottish Members?
Mr John Clynes
, Manchester Platting
I hope that full information will be given to the House on the question where he may be seen.
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.
Whitehall is a wide road that runs through the heart of Westminster, starting at Trafalgar square and ending at Parliament. It is most often found in Hansard as a way of referring to the combined mass of central government departments, although many of them no longer have buildings on Whitehall itself.
