Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Ministry of Supply – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 19 April 1948.
Captain Albert Blackburn
, Birmingham King's Norton
12:00,
19 April 1948
Does the Minister state to the House that despite the Prime Minister's statement, the highest possible priority was not given for atomic energy research, and in view of the great importance of this matter will he reconsider the submission of the Select Committee on Estimates that there should be an impartial committee of the House to help him in the discharge of this important function?
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.
