Oral Answers to Questions — Scotland – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 28 January 1947.
Mr Niall Macpherson
, Dumfriesshire
12:00,
28 January 1947
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that while in 1945 Cumber land had a total of 106,269 acres under cereals and potatoes, and the purchase value of the machinery held by its A.E.C. was £84,000, the neighbouring county of Dumfries had 57,354 acres under cereals and potatoes, but the purchase value of machinery held by its A.E.C. was only 24,000; and if he will authorise the supply to the Dumfriesshire A.E.C. of potato planters, potato sorters and grain driers.
Mr Joseph Westwood
, Stirling and Falkirk District of Burghs
Machinery in committees' areas is intended only as a supplement to that held by the farmers and agricultural contractors themselves, and my information is that on this basis the equipment provided in Dumfriesshire has hitherto been adequate.
Mr Niall Macpherson
, Dumfriesshire
If I could show the Minister that is not so would he be prepared to examine it?
Mr Joseph Westwood
, Stirling and Falkirk District of Burghs
Certainly, Sir. I am willing to do everything to help in the development of agriculture in Scotland.
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.
