Orders of the Day – in the House of Commons at 12:32 pm on 11 June 2008.
As amended in the Public Bill Committee, further considered.
[Relevant documents: The Second Report from the Joint Committee on Human Rights, on Counter-Terrorism Policy and Human Rights: 42 Days, HC 156, the Ninth Report from the Committee, on Counter-Terrorism Policy and Human Rights: Counter-Terrorism Bill, HC 199 and the Government Response, Cm. 7344, the Tenth Report from the Committee, on Counter-Terrorism Policy and Human Rights: Annual Renewal of Control Orders Legislation 2008, HC 356, the Twentieth Report from the Committee, on Counter-Terrorism Policy and Human Rights: Counter-Terrorism Bill, HC 554, and the Government Response contained in the letter dated 5th June 2008 from Rt Hon Tony McNulty MP, Minister of State, Home Department, the Twenty-first Report from the Committee, on Counter-Terrorism Policy and Human Rights: 42 Days and Public Emergencies, HC 635 and the Government Response contained in the letter dated 6th June 2008 from Rt Hon Tony McNulty MP, the letter dated 4th June 2008 from Rt Hon Tony McNulty MP, on special advocates and control order legislation, the letter dated 4th June 2008 from Rt Hon Tony McNulty MP, on pre-charge detention: 28 days annual renewal, and the letter dated 9th June 2008 from the Chairman of the Committee to Rt Hon Jacqui Smith MP, Secretary of State for the Home Department. ]
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.
