Oral Answers to Questions — Education. – in the House of Commons at on 8 February 1940.
Sir Geoffrey Mander
, Wolverhampton East
asked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been drawn to the announcement made by M. de Monzie, French Minister of Public Works, in the French Chamber in December, that the construction of a Channel Tunnel would be one of the first public works to be undertaken after the war; and what assurance of British co-operation has been given?
Mr Neville Chamberlain
, Birmingham, Edgbaston
I have seen a brief report of Monsieur de Monzie's speech on 13th December in the course of the Debate on the Budget in the French Chamber of Deputies. According to this report, Monsieur de Monzie did not announce the construction of a Channel Tunnel after the war, although he suggested that this project was among the large-scale undertakings which it would be right to consider after the war. In regard to the last part of the Question, no assurances of British co-operation in respect of this project have been given.
Sir Geoffrey Mander
, Wolverhampton East
In view of the importance which is attached by the French Government to this matter, will the British Government enter into discussion on the subject?
Mr Neville Chamberlain
, Birmingham, Edgbaston
We have not been invited to do so.
Mr Ernest Thurtle
, Shoreditch
If the Government are invited will they go into it?
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.
