Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Scotland – in the House of Commons at 2:30 pm on 18 October 2005.
Alex Salmond
Parliamentary Leader (Westminster), Spokesperson (Constitutional Affairs; Treasury), Leader, Scottish National Party
2:30,
18 October 2005
May I advise the Minister to do what his Department does best—nothing at all? Given that the Scotland Office did not lift a finger—not even a sausage roll—to commemorate this year's 700th anniversary of the death of Scotland's greatest hero, William Wallace, would the population at large not consider it passing strange if the Department started to plan a subsidised booze up and what would obviously be a political party for a parcel of rogues in 1707? Given that half the population does not agree with it and another half does not want to pay for it, will the Minister assure us that he will do what he does best—nothing at all?
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.
