Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Ministry of Pensions – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 9 December 1947.
Wing Commander Geoffrey Cooper
, Middlesbrough West
12:00,
9 December 1947
Does not the Minister agree that the cost-of-living index figure is more in the nature of a measure of variation than a basis for assessment, and can he say what is the yardstick of income for this assessment? Has he any records in his Department which show how this figure was arrived at?
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.
