Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Food Supplies – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 14 July 1947.
Sir Waldron Smithers
, Orpington
12:00,
14 July 1947
Is the Minister aware that in the case of the returned lorry loads referred to in the Question, the farmers were willing to agree to a price of one penny a lettuce; and is he not also aware that, whether this comes within his purview or not, every time he pokes his nose into the distribution of food there is the inevitable result of shortages and increased prices?
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.
