Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Housing. – in the House of Commons at on 8 February 1940.
Miss Rathbone:
asked the Minister of Pensions whether, and under what conditions, the widows or other dependants of men who have died in the performance of their service in the armed Forces can secure, pending the assessment of any pension to which they are entitled, the temporary continuance of any hardship grants or allowances in excess of the ordinary rate of separation allowances which they may have been receiving prior to the service man's death?
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.
