Oral Answers to Questions — Ministry of Supply – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 28 March 1945.
Commander Aãnew:
asked the Minister of Supply what price was being paid for wolfram drawn from the Cligga mine immediately before the mine was closed; and what price has been paid for any wolfram subsequently imported.
Mr James de Rothschild
, Isle of Ely
The answer to the first part of the Question is 100s. per unit. Purchases abroad since that date have been at 75s. per unit f.o.b., except for one long term contract, made in 1942, at 100s.
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.