Oral Answers to Questions — British Army – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 17 Mehefin 1947.
Sir Toby Low
, Blackpool North
12:00,
17 Mehefin 1947
asked the Secretary of State for War in which of the British West Indian Colonies an Imperial garrison is maintained and at what strength; and how it compares with that maintained before the war.
Mr Frederick Bellenger
, Bassetlaw
British garrisons are maintained in Jamaica and Bermuda. It would be contrary to practice to disclose their strengths.
Sir Toby Low
, Blackpool North
Is it not a fact that these strengths were disclosed before the war? Why should they not be disclosed now?
Mr Frederick Bellenger
, Bassetlaw
For many reasons, which the Minister of Defence gave in a recent Debate in this House.
Sir Henry Legge-Bourke
, Isle of Ely
Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that not so very long ago a report appeared in the "Daily Worker" that there are thousands of British troops overseas holding down the population of the Colonies, and will not he do something to deny that?
Mr Frederick Bellenger
, Bassetlaw
I do not think it is necessary for me to deny everything that is said in the "Daily Worker."
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.
