Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Transport. – in the House of Commons at on 24 January 1940.
Mr Thomas Williams
, Don Valley
Is the Minister of Transport aware of the heavy increase in sickness due to the fact that these men are called upon to work 14 and 15 and 16 hours a day? Is it not because the railway authorities have refrained from promoting qualified cleaners and firemen over a number of years?
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.
