Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 18 February 1954.
Sir Waldron Smithers
, Orpington
12:00,
18 February 1954
asked the Minister of Agriculture the cost to the taxpayer of the promotion and administration to date of the Apple and Pear Marketing Scheme.
Mr Thomas Dugdale
, Richmond (Yorks)
The expenses in respect of the public inquiry into objections to the apple and pear marketing scheme and the reimbursement to the Apple and Pear Marketing Board of a part of their initial expenses amounted to £5,258 2s.
Sir Waldron Smithers
, Orpington
Will my right hon. Friend give up all attempts at State trading and leave trading and marketing to experts?
Mr Thomas Dugdale
, Richmond (Yorks)
The Marketing Board has nothing whatever to do with State trading.
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.
