Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Naval and Military Pensions and Grants. – in the House of Commons at on 1 February 1940.
Rear-Admiral Sir Murray Sueter
, Hertford
asked the Minister of Pensions whether, in view of the increase of 19 points in the cost of living since the outbreak of war, he will confer with the Admiralty, War Office, and Air Ministry, to see whether the widows of the Fighting Services could have their pensions increased by a small percentage as was done in the last war?
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.
