– in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 17 February 1954.
Mr. Philips Price:
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what representations he has made to the United States of America in order to secure Anglo-American co-operation in the finding of markets for Persian oil.
Mr Selwyn Lloyd
, Wirral
None, Sir. Her Majesty's Government and the United States Government are continuing to co-operate closely over the Persian problem, and there has been no need for representations on this subject.
Mr Herbert Williams
, Croydon East
Why all this emphasis on co-operation with the United States, having regard to the fact that it was their conspiracy which led to the trouble at Abadan?
Mr Selwyn Lloyd
, Wirral
I certainly cannot accept what my hon. Friend says.
Mr Jo Grimond
, Orkney and Shetland
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the negotiations for the marketing of Persian oil and the restarting of the refinery at Abadan.
Mr Selwyn Lloyd
, Wirral
I have nothing yet to add to my answer to the right hon. and learned Gentleman the Member for Rowley Regis and Tipton (Mr. A. Henderson) on 10th February, except that the joint survey mission is now in Persia.
Mr Jo Grimond
, Orkney and Shetland
As the Government are the principal shareholders in the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, can the Minister of State tell us what instructions have been sent or what views have been put forward by the company about the proportions in this consortium, and what percentage will be Anglo-Iranian?
Mr Selwyn Lloyd
, Wirral
I do not think it would be in the public interest for me to make any such disclosure at the present time.
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.
