Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 19 November 1964.
Mr Harold Wilson
, Huyton
12:00,
19 November 1964
I do not know what the hon. Gentleman is talking about. My right hon. Friend who has been appointed to this Department, to my knowledge, because I have been at many meetings with him on this question, has taken the liveliest and most progressive interest in technological questions, including his service, at the invitation of the right hon. Gentleman, or his predecessor in the work of the D.S.I.R We are not interested in sympathy about technology. We want to see some drive, which is what we have not yet had, and this is what we will get.
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.
