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administration

Business of the House – in the House of Commons at 10:00 pm on 30 March 2009.

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Ordered,

That Mr Simon Burns be discharged from the Administration Committee and Alistair Burt be added. —(Mr. Frank Roy, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)

Photo of Andrew Murrison Andrew Murrison Shadow Minister (Defence)

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. At 2 o'clock this afternoon we learned that the Senior Salaries Review Body was recommending a 2.3 per cent. pay rise for Members of Parliament, yet the Armed Forces Pay Review Body's report has been sitting with Ministers for weeks without an announcement having been made. It is simply not acceptable for MPs to know their pay award while the men and women serving on the front line do not know theirs. Has a Minister applied to you for leave to come to the House to explain the report and what he plans to do about it?

Photo of Sylvia Heal Sylvia Heal Deputy Speaker

I have received no notification or request from any Minister, but the hon. Gentleman's comments are now on the record.

Deputy Speaker

The Deputy speaker is in charge of proceedings of the House of Commons in the absence of the Speaker.

The deputy speaker's formal title is Chairman of Ways and Means, one of whose functions is to preside over the House of Commons when it is in a Committee of the Whole House.

The deputy speaker also presides over the Budget.

Minister

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.