Oral Answers to Questions — Transport. – in the House of Commons at on 6 March 1935.
Mr George Lansbury
, Poplar Bow and Bromley
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any statement to make as to the postponement of his visit to Berlin?
Mr John Simon
, Spen Valley
The German Foreign Secretary informed His Majesty's Ambassador in Berlin yesterday that the German Chancellor, having caught cold during his visit to the Saar, was suffering from great hoarseness and that on his doctor's orders the conversations arranged to take place this week with British Ministers in Berlin would therefore, to the German Government's great regret, have to be postponed to a later date.
Mr George Lansbury
, Poplar Bow and Bromley
Is there any idea as to when the meeting will take place?
Mr John Simon
, Spen Valley
I am in communication with the German Government on the subject.
Mr George Lansbury
, Poplar Bow and Bromley
On that point, would the Foreign Secretary advise his colleagues to withdraw the white paper until after the conversations?
Mr John Simon
, Spen Valley
No, Sir. Certainly not. I can hardly imagine that anyone would wish to take seriously the suggestion that if you have a statement to make you should reserve it until after the conversations.
Mr George Lansbury
, Poplar Bow and Bromley
Arising out of that, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he really thinks that it is conducive to friendly negotiation to issue so unfriendly a document as that which the Prime Minister initialled?
Mr John Simon
, Spen Valley
That is a matter which will, I dare say, come under discussion on another occasion.
Mr Frederick Cocks
, Broxtowe
Will the right hon. Gentleman take this opportunity of visiting Moscow, where they have not lost their voices?
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.
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 Chancellor - also known as "Chancellor of the Exchequer" is responsible as a Minister for the treasury, and for the country's economy. For Example, the Chancellor set taxes and tax rates. The Chancellor is the only MP allowed to drink Alcohol in the House of Commons; s/he is permitted an alcoholic drink while delivering the budget.
A document issued by the Government laying out its policy, or proposed policy, on a topic of current concern.Although a white paper may occasion consultation as to the details of new legislation, it does signify a clear intention on the part of a government to pass new law. This is a contrast with green papers, which are issued less frequently, are more open-ended and may merely propose a strategy to be implemented in the details of other legislation.
More from wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_paper
