Part of the debate – in the House of Commons am ar 15 Gorffennaf 1925.
Mr Hastings Lees-Smith
, Keighley
Until the Act is brought into operation the Minister may do anything. It means that, presumably, for about 18 months the Minister will have greater powers than this House itself possesses. I think I can predict the reply that the Minister is going to make. He is going to point out that the provision occurred originally in the National Health Insurance Act, and that it has been lifted from that Act into this Bill, and that the National Health Insurance Act period was longer. But the National Health Insurance Act was carried by a Minister who ought not to be quoted as a precedent at all. I think he was a Minister who would go as far as the House would allow in a direction of this sort.
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.
