Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Trade and Commerce – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 2 Gorffennaf 1963.
Mr Fenner Brockway
, Eton and Slough
12:00,
2 Gorffennaf 1963
But is not this nonsense when the Minister of Defence for South Africa announces in detail the helicopters and aircraft which have been purchased from this country? Are Members of this House to be denied the information provided there and are we to be given no opportunity of expressing the moral protest of this country against the supply or arms to this apartheid Government?
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.
