Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Trade and Commerce – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 10 July 1947.
Sir Stafford Cripps
, Bristol East
12:00,
10 July 1947
The Magnesium Electron Works is a special purpose factory for the production of materials of strategic importance the capacity from which must be available at comparatively short notice. It is equipped with plant which could not be moved without, to a very large degree, destroying it. The buildings are not in any case suitable for ordinary industrial use although part of the premises are at present being used by the Ministry of Supply for storage for which replacement space would be very difficult to find. For these reasons my right hon. Friend the Minister of Supply is unable to release the premises at present. The question is however being kept under review.
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.
