Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Ministry of Works – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 24 February 1947.
Sir Waldron Smithers
, Orpington
12:00,
24 February 1947
asked the Minister of Works whether the contractors recently employed at Sherwood Lodge, regional headquarters of the National Coal Board, received and complied with Circular L.R. 204/1, issued by the Material Priority Section, 51, Gracechurch Street; and, in view of the fact that many of the articles in the list of materials covered by priority certificate on the back of the form may be purchased openly in the shops, whether that list is still valid and correct.
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.
