Oral Answers to Questions — Kenya – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 20 January 1959.
Mr James Johnson
, Rugby
12:00,
20 January 1959
asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will give details of the plans announced by the specially elected members of the Kenya Legislative Council to build a multi-racial secondary school for boys between the ages of 12 and 18 years.
Mr Julian Amery
, Preston North
I understand that these plans are still at an early stage and I am not in a position to give details.
Mr James Johnson
, Rugby
Would not both sides of the House welcome this step forward in multi-racial education? Can the Minister say whether the African Members—they are the African elected Members of the Legislative Council—have made any statement about this and what their feelings are about it?
Mr Julian Amery
, Preston North
I have no information on that point, but I would like to join in what the hon. Gentleman has said in welcoming this initiative.
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.
