Oral Answers to Questions — Trade and Industry – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 19 November 1973.
Mr Greville Janner
, Leicester North West
12:00,
19 November 1973
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will list the unfair trade practices which he is initially proposing to ban or curb in accordance with his new powers under the Fair Trading Act.
Mr Geoffrey Howe
, Reigate
Under the Fair Trading Act 1973 it is the function of the Director General of Fair Trading to make any such proposals.
Mr Greville Janner
, Leicester North West
Do the Minister's functions under the Act include the passing of matters to the Director General? Can the Minister indicate which practices the Director General is considering and whether they include the practice of double pricing?
Mr Geoffrey Howe
, Reigate
The Director General has been in office for less than three weeks. It is plain that he is still surveying and drawing together the various matters which he will be considering. It is for him—and it is important that this should be said—to set out his new pattern of priorities in the new and important office which he holds.
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.
