Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at on 19 June 1941.
Mr Winston Churchill
, Epping
I understand from my right hon. Friend that he did not intend to make a declaration of the kind suggested. In his speech on 15th June he stressed that the Government was one of national unity, expressing the united will of the people, and that this unity at the top was reflected right down, in the Services and all branches of the war effort. The arrangements for securing unity of direction of the Armed Forces through the Office of the Minister of Defence and the Defence Committee are known to the House, and no change in them is contemplated.
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.
