Oral Answers to Questions — Civil Defence. – in the House of Commons at on 1 February 1940.
Mr James Griffiths
, Llanelly
asked the Minister of Health whether he will consider the practicability of continuing payment of capitation fees to panel doctors of men called to the services conditional upon such payment covering medical service for the dependants of the men; and whether he can estimate the annual cost of such a proposal?
Mr Walter Elliot
, Glasgow Kelvingrove
I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given on this subject by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War to the hon. and learned Member for Greenock (Mr. R. Gibson) on 30th January.
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.
