Oral Answers to Questions — Civil Defence. – in the House of Commons at on 14 December 1939.
Sir George Mitcheson
, St Pancras South West
asked the Minister of Health the number of persons it was contemplated would be evacuated under the Government scheme, the number that were evacuated and an estimate of the number that have returned at the latest date for which such an estimate was available?
Mr Walter Elliot
, Glasgow Kelvingrove
Plans were made in England and Wales for the evacuation of up to 3,000,000 persons: some 1,230,000 persons took advantage of the scheme. It is estimated that about 540,000 have returned to the evacuation areas.
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.
