Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Treasury – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 13 May 1999.
Tim Boswell
Shadow Spokesperson (Business, Innovation and Skills), Shadow Spokesperson (Business, Innovation and Skills), Shadow Spokesperson (Trade and Industry)
12:00,
13 May 1999
Although the industry was no doubt grateful that the Treasury backed off from its threat of additional tax last year because of the situation in the industry, and although the Minister will no doubt want to review carefully the current state of effort in the North sea compared with that prevailing until a year or two ago, will she have a word with her right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry about the implications of the gas moratorium which, as well as the present rate of taxation, is sending a negative signal about the future development of the North sea?
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.
