Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Health – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 16 July 1991.
David Clelland
, Tyne Bridge
12:00,
16 July 1991
Is the Minister aware that the only initiative taken by the Northumbria ambulance trust, apart from entering the car repair business, has been an increase in the salaries of the officers who first decided to apply for trust status? Does the Minister believe that these increases are in the interests of patients and if he does, will he say why the trust refuses to publish the figures?
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.
