– in the House of Commons am ar 8 Chwefror 1944.
Mr George Strauss
, Lambeth North
asked the Secretary of State for War whether any units of Allied national Armies, who surrendered in Tunisia after fighting under Rommel, have now been transferred to their respective Allied Armies in this country; and whether any steps have been taken to counteract the Fascist outlook with which they have been imbued during their service with the Germans.
Sir James Grigg
, Cardiff East
A number of Allied nationals captured in Tunisia have been released to their national Forces in this country. The last part of my hon. Friend's Question is a matter for those Forces and I have no particulars of the measures they take.
Mr George Strauss
, Lambeth North
Is the Minister aware that some of these captured forces have already caused some difficulty, and that it is the concern of this country, and the United Nations as a whole, to see that there should be no considerable number of Fascists in the Allied Forces? Could the right hon. Gentleman convey that view to the appropriate authorities?
Sir James Grigg
, Cardiff East
I think the hon. Member had better address his Question to my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary. I have answered such part of it as I am concerned with, and I have no information about anything beyond that.
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.
