Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Trade and Industry – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 27 July 1983.
Mr John Fraser
, Norwood
12:00,
27 July 1983
Does not the Minister agree that it makes trading, industrial and educational sense to move gradually but certainly towards one system of weights and measures? For example, the system of selling petrol in one garage by the litre and in another by the gallon makes no long-term industrial or commercial sense. Surely it is the duty of a commercial Department to give a commercial lead.
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.
