Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Education. – in the House of Commons at on 8 February 1940.
Mr. Lindsay:
The responsibility for determining what air-raid precautions should be taken as best suited to the circumstances of a particular school is one for the local education authority in consultation with the local air-raid precautions authority. This responsibility is not removed by giving the parent the option of sending his child to school or not. If, however, the hon. Member has in mind the question of compensation for injuries sustained by a child while attending school during an air raid the matter is one for the Minister of Pensions under the Personal Injuries (Emergency Provisions) Act, 1939.
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.
