– in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 29 November 1973.
Mr Harry Ewing
, Stirling and Falkirk Burghs
12:00,
29 November 1973
asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the future of the Central Policy Review body.
Mr Edward Heath
, Bexley
The Central Policy Review Staff will continue to carry out the functions outlined for it in Cmnd 4506, "The Reorganisation of Central Government".
Mr Harry Ewing
, Stirling and Falkirk Burghs
If the Central Policy Review body, because of the advice it is giving the Prime Minister and his right hon. and hon. Friends, is responsible for the economic state of the country, ought it not to go? If that organisation is not responsible and, therefore, the Government are responsible, is not the Prime Minister guilty of the grossest incompetence we have ever seen from a Prime Minister, and ought he not to go?
Mr Edward Heath
, Bexley
No, Sir.
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.
