Part of Oral Answers to Questions — National Insurance – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 4 March 1947.
Brigadier Christopher Peto
, Barnstaple
12:00,
4 March 1947
Is the Minister aware that in a circular issued by his Department in November, admission was made that there are many thousands of such cases where pension books are lying unclaimed in post offices? Will he not express, through the Press or through the B.B.C., clear instructions as to what pensioners should do by way of writing to post offices at which they were registered.
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.
