– in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 11 February 1947.
Captain Harry Crookshank
, Gainsborough
12:00,
11 February 1947
(By Private Notice)asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will make a statement on the negotiations in progress in Washington for the purchase of American coal for bunkering purposes; what results have been achieved, and what will be the cost?
Mr Emanuel Shinwell
, Seaham
No such negotiations in Washington are in progress, but it is hoped that arrangements can be made, as a temporary measure, to revert to the system of double bunkering on the other side by the shipping companies.
Captain Harry Crookshank
, Gainsborough
When the Minister says that no negotiations are in progress in Washington, I take it that he means that there are no negotiations going on anywhere at all in the United States?
Mr Emanuel Shinwell
, Seaham
So far as we are aware, there are no negotiations in the United States.
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.
