Oral Answers to Questions — Commonwealth Relations – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 22 April 1948.
Mr Ronald Ross
, County Londonderry
12:00,
22 April 1948
asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether he proposes to ask the Government of Eire to assent to the alteration of the Royal Title consequential upon the change of status of India and Pakistan.
Mr Patrick Gordon Walker
, Smethwick
The Eire Government were informed in June last of the proposed alteration and indicated that it presented no difficulty so far as Eire was concerned.
Mr Ronald Ross
, County Londonderry
Does that mean that Eire was consulted as a Dominion and had to give assent as a Dominion?
Mr Patrick Gordon Walker
, Smethwick
It means that when the Eire Government were consulted on that they said the change presented no difficulty to them. In other words, it assented in the change.
Mr Ronald Ross
, County Londonderry
Can the Minister say in what capacity Eire was consulted—as a foreign Power or as a Dominion within the Commonwealth?
Mr Patrick Gordon Walker
, Smethwick
Naturally, as a member of the Commonwealth—a Government within the Commonwealth.
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.
