Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture. – in the House of Commons at on 22 May 1941.
Mr. De la Bère:
asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, with a view to getting a million acres drained and into cultivation forthwith, he will confer with the Secretary of State for War and the Minister of Labour, for the purpose of the provision of 10,000 Pioneer or other troops being made available for this work within the next month?
Mr. Hudson:
I have already consulted both my colleagues. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War is unable to place any additional Pioneers or other troops at my disposal beyond those already working, but my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service has agreed to make available within the next few months at least 10,000 civilians for work of this kind.
Mr. De la Bère:
Does my right hon. Friend realise that the point is the un-awareness of the War Office and the Ministry of Labour as to the urgency of making provision for the national larder, and is he aware that the matter cannot be lightly dismissed, indeed, that it cannot be dismissed at all?
Mr Edgar Granville
, Eye
Has the right hon. Gentleman made representations to the Secretary of State for War for the release of skilled agricultural workers from home forces for work during important farming seasons, such as harvests?
Mr. Hudson:
We are continually making applications to the army authorities for the release of individual men, and, as far as I am aware, the bulk of them are granted.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
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.
