Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 10 July 1947.
Sir John Mellor
, Sutton Coldfield
12:00,
10 July 1947
asked the Minister of Fuel and Power, what is the scope of the Health and Welfare Branch of his Department; how many persons are employed, and where; and what is the relation between this branch and the corresponding branch of the National Coal Board.
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.
