Part of Justice (Northern Ireland) Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 7:15 pm on 5 February 2002.
Des Browne
Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Northern Ireland Office, Parliamentary Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)
7:15,
5 February 2002
I should make myself clear, because I am not sure that the last few sentences of my contribution were exactly enlightening. All references to the Secretary of State in the schedule relate to the reserved field, which will be devolved when criminal justice is devolved. The hon. Member for Reigate can replace the Secretary of State in the schedule with the devolved Minister, although I am not in a position to say who that will be since other provisions in the Bill imply that other decisions must be made.
Where the Bill refers to the Secretary of State in the excepted field—off the top of my head, I am not sure where that happens, but I will have it checked—those responsibilities will not be devolved. Any reference to the Secretary of State in the context of excepted matters will continue to be read as a reference to the Secretary of State. I am more certain in myself that that is clear now; whether others understand it is a matter for them.
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.
