Oral Answers to Questions — Food Supplies – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 22 January 1947.
Mr. Baker White:
asked the Minister of Food if he has yet taken a decision whether the trading licence of the Colchester Co-operative Society is to be revoked, subsequent upon its conviction for black market offences.
Mr Evelyn Strachey
, Dundee
I do not normally revoke licences for a first offence, and shall not do so in this case; but the Society has been warned that I shall consider revoking its licence at once if there is any further conviction against it or any of its employees.
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.
