Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Ministry of Power – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 11 June 1964.
Mr Thomas Fraser
, Hamilton
12:00,
11 June 1964
The hon. Member has just said that he has recently had discussions with the Chairman of this Gas Board. Does that not indicate that he, too, is beginning to realise that this is a very important matter, and that people all over the country are feeling very dissatisfied with the way in which consumers whose meters are robbed are treated by gas and electricity area boards? Is it not time for the Minister himself to take a hand and give a direction to these area boards? Is it not wrong that there should be this lack of uniformity? Is not the policy of the Scottish Gas Board, following a decision in the Glasgow Sheriff Court, by far the most humane policy administered throughout the whole 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.
