Oral Answers to Questions — Board of Trade – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 10 December 1964.
Mr John Temple
, City of Chester
12:00,
10 December 1964
asked the Prime Minister which Ministers will be responsible for water resources and river authorities both in England and in Wales.
Mr George Brown
, Belper
I have been asked to reply.
I would ask the hon. Member to await the detailed statement promised by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.
Mr John Temple
, City of Chester
Would the First Secretary of State inform the House whether the Secretary of State for Wales is to take over the functions of the Minister of Housing and Local Government with regard to water resources in Wales?
Mr George Brown
, Belper
I should be very surprised if he did, but I still think that the hon. Gentleman should await the detailed statement.
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.
