– in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 5 Mai 1947.
Mr Ernest Marples
, Wallasey
12:00,
5 Mai 1947
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps are being taken to safeguard the safety of the displaced persons in Italy after the British troops are withdrawn.
The Minister of State (Mr. McNeil):
I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a similar Question asked by the hon. and gallant Member for Lewes (Major Beamish) on 23rd April.
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.
