Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 18 March 1947.
Mr Stephen Swingler
, Stafford
12:00,
18 March 1947
asked the Minister of Labour (1) for how many years a man of 18 years of age must be satisfactorily employed in underground coalmining in order to cease to be liable to call-up for military service;
(2) if he will make the period of national service in underground coalmining equivalent to the period of military service which all men of 18 years of age are now liable to undergo.
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.
