Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 2:52 pm on 12 March 2001.
The Earl of Northesk
Conservative
2:52,
12 March 2001
My Lords, is the Minister aware of the comments of Charles Clarke that the make-up of the list of proscribed organisations since the Terrorism Act was,
"not driven by foreign policy considerations"?
In so far as that is true, at what level and to what extent did Home Office Ministers consult with their colleagues in the Foreign Office in relation to the decision to include the LTTE?
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.
