Oral Answers to Questions — Land and Natural Resources – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 21 December 1964.
Mr. J. E. B. Hill:
asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources, what administrative action he takes with regard to the Ordnance Survey.
Mr Arthur Skeffington
, Hayes and Harlington
My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is responsible for the Ordnance Survey but my right hon. Friend expects to make use of its services.
Mr. Hill:
Is it not very remarkable that the new Minister of Land and Natural Resources, who has been given no planning power at all, is not allowed to make the maps himself or put in charge of the map makers?
Mr Arthur Skeffington
, Hayes and Harlington
I would have thought the hon. Member would be very happy, as a Department is already doing this work, to know that it is not being duplicated.
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.
