Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Armed Forces – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 5 November 1947.
Mr Albert Alexander
, Sheffield, Hillsborough
12:00,
5 November 1947
The Government are very anxious to do the best they can in this matter. The priorities that will come first are in the coalmining and the agricultural areas, but the Service Ministers are keeping in close touch with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health about the next priority after those two.
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.
