– in the House of Commons at on 20 March 1929.
Sir Robert Thomas
, Anglesey
asked the Minister of Health whether hospital probationers are entitled to administer powerful drugs, such as digitalin and morphia, in the absence of a qualified medical practitioner; and who is held responsible in the event of the death of a patient as a result of a mistake on the part of a probationer?
Mr Neville Chamberlain
, Birmingham, Ladywood
The answer to the first part of the question is that while the administration of drugs within the scope of the Dangerous Drugs Acts is subject to special restrictions, the responsibility for administration rests with the medical practitioner in charge of the case. I cannot undertake to pronounce the general terms upon the issue raised by the second part of the question, which must turn upon the view taken of particular facts.
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.
