Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Ministry of Health – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 16 November 1964.
Lieut-Colonel Sir Walter Bromley-Davenport
, Knutsford
12:00,
16 November 1964
asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that medical practitioners and others concerned with the treatment of leprosy are proscribing the use of the word leper, in view of the fact that the odium associated with this word has done much to prevent the co-operation of communities concerned and hence the eradication of the disease; and whether he will give an assurance that this consideration is borne in mind by the staff of his department.
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.
