Oral Answers to Questions — Germany – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 3 November 1947.
Mr Philip Piratin
, Stepney Mile End
12:00,
3 November 1947
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he consulted the Ruhr Trade Unions before appointing W. Roelen, a leading figure in the Nazi Economic hierarchy, as head of the Ruhr Coal Administration.
Mr Christopher Mayhew
, Norfolk Southern
The proposed German Coal Management has not yet been set up. In making appointments to it the views of the miners' trades unions will, of course, be taken into account.
Mr Philip Piratin
, Stepney Mile End
Is the Minister aware that this man, Roelen, has already been appointed and that the committee of the trade unions league in the British zone has already approached the Minister on the matter? Will steps be taken to see that this man is not appointed to any post of this kind?
Mr Christopher Mayhew
, Norfolk Southern
The hon. Member must be misinformed. The appointment has not yet been made. The views of the German trade unions will be borne in mind.
Captain Sir Peter Macdonald
, Isle of Wight
Is it not a fact that this man has already been screened by the Control Commission, that his appointment has been approved, and that the only reason for the objection by the hon. Member for Mile End (Mr. Piratin) is that he is not a Communist?
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
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.
