Oral Answers to Questions — Wales – in the House of Commons at 11:30 am on 21 May 2008.
Paul Flynn
Labour, Newport West
11:30,
21 May 2008
If he will make a statement on the provision of access to digital services in Jobcentre Plus offices in Wales.
Huw Irranca-Davies
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales
Jobcentre Plus continues to play an innovative role in using digital technology to help people back into work, and I look forward to its continuing work in this area.
Paul Flynn
Labour, Newport West
Will my hon. Friend and the Secretary of State, who have mastered high technology themselves, lead by example by demonstrating at the jobcentres the new innovations that are planned?
Huw Irranca-Davies
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales
My hon. Friend pays regard to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State as the Minister for digital inclusion and to my role as a junior Minister. Since 2007, viewers can search for job vacancies using digital television, thanks to the partnership between Jobcentre Plus and the local government digital TV portal, Looking Local. This Government are determined to innovate to help people back into work.
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.
