Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Civil Defence. – in the House of Commons at on 8 February 1940.
Dr Edith Summerskill
, Fulham West
asked the Minister of Health whether Woking is the only local authority which has been informed that unless it immediately finds billets for evacuees the Government will take steps to compel householders to comply with the evacuation order?
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.