– in the House of Commons at on 6 February 1939.
Mr Arthur Jenkins
, Pontypool
asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware of the recent thefts of explosives from factories and other places in this country; and will he take steps to safeguard all stores of explosives so as to eliminate the danger of their use by unauthorised persons?
Mr Geoffrey Lloyd
, Birmingham, Ladywood
My right hon. Friend agrees with the hon. Member as to the importance of this point. There are legal requirements as to safeguarding explosive stores against theft and it is desirable that all owners of such stores should take full precautions. There has been recent consultation with the police on the subject and steps have been taken to ensure that special attention is given to this matter.
Mr Arthur Jenkins
, Pontypool
Can the Minister state the number of known cases of theft recently in this country from stores of explosives?
Mr Geoffrey Lloyd
, Birmingham, Ladywood
No, Sir, not without notice.
Mr Emanuel Shinwell
, Seaham
Is there no check by the Home Office or any other Government Department over the sale of materials which may form the basis of explosives?
Mr Geoffrey Lloyd
, Birmingham, Ladywood
Perhaps the hon. Member will put that question on the Paper.
Mr Arthur Jenkins
, Pontypool
May I press my question as to whether steps have already been taken to safeguard these stores?
Mr Geoffrey Lloyd
, Birmingham, Ladywood
Yes, Sir, I meant to make it clear in my answer that such steps had been taken, in consultation with the police.
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.
