– in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 24 November 1947.
Hon. Lancelot Joynson-Hicks
, Chichester
12:00,
24 November 1947
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that the names of His Majesty's representative to Roumania and the hon. Member for Chichester were included in the indictment of Dr. Juliu Maniu by the Roumanian Government; and what steps he is taking to substantiate to the Roumanian Government their innocence of the charges alleged against them.
Mr Christopher Mayhew
, Norfolk Southern
The indictment of 19 members of the Roumanian National Peasant Party alleges that Dr. Maniu systematically supplied the United States and British Representatives in Roumania with tendentious and confidential information and mentions two interviews between His Majesty's Minister (then British Political Representative) and Dr. Maniu. It contains nothing in the nature of charges against His Majesty's Minister nor does it attribute to him conduct exceeding his duties as British Political Representative under an Armistice of which His Majesty's Government was one of the three controlling Powers. The hon. Member for Chichester is mentioned once, when the indictment merely states that he was introduced to Dr. Maniu by His Majesty's Political Representative. In the circumstances my right hon. Friend does not propose to take the matter up with the Roumanian Government.
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.
