Oral Answers to Questions — Technical Co-Operation – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 18 February 1964.
Mr Tam Dalyell
, West Lothian
12:00,
18 February 1964
asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation how many people sent overseas by his Department to the Middle East and North Africa have a working knowledge of Arabic.
Mr Robert Carr
, Mitcham
Since July 1961, 20 people sent by my Department to countries in the Middle East and North Africa are known to have had knowledge of Arabic at the time of appointment.
Mr Tam Dalyell
, West Lothian
Is the Minister aware that there is a certain amount of concern about Arabic teaching in this country, especially in the light of emigration from the London School of Oriental and African Studies from which six members have left for America in the past three years?
Mr Robert Carr
, Mitcham
The latter point is not my responsibility. As far as my Department's appointments are concerned, our recruitment now is almost entirely on contract for short-term appointments, and it is obviously difficult in these circumstances for people to learn Arabic for one or two years' service.
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.
