Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture. – in the House of Commons am ar 6 Chwefror 1939.
Sir James Henderson-Stewart
, Fife Eastern
asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he intends to invite representatives of farm workers in England and Scotland to confer with him in the preparation of a long-term agricultural policy; if so, when and to what bodies invitations will be sent and when consultations will begin?
Mr Herwald Ramsbotham
, Lancaster
I have been asked to reply. My right hon. Friends the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Secretary of State for Scotland propose to invite representatives of the National Union of Agricultural Workers and the Transport and General Workers' Union, so far as farm workers in England are concerned, and the Scottish Farm Servants' Section of the Transport and General Workers' Union to confer with them at an early date.
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.
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.
