Oral Answers to Questions — Ministry of Information. – in the House of Commons at on 10 December 1941.
Mr Samuel Viant
, Willesden West
asked the Minister of Information what are the circumstances in which Mr. J. C. Rodgers was released from a post in his Department to undertake duties with the Department of Overseas Trade; what arrangements are being made to carry out the duties formerly performed by Mr. Rodgers; and what salary was attached to the post he filled?
Mr Brendan Bracken
, Paddington North
Mr. J. C. Rodgers was released at the request of the Department of Overseas Trade for transfer to that Department. The duties connected with the planning of the overseas publicity work of the Ministry, on which he was latterly employed, have been rearranged, and a part of them is now being carried out by an officer on the range of salary £600 to £800. When Mr. Rodgers occupied the post the approved salary was £1,000.
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.
