Oral Answers to Questions — Ministry of Health – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 4 Mai 1964.
Mr Stratton Mills
, Belfast North
12:00,
4 Mai 1964
asked the Minister of Health what official research is being undertaken into the incidence of leukaemia by Service men who were situated in the area of the atomic explosions in Japan in August 1945.
Mr Anthony Barber
, Doncaster
I know of none.
Mr Stratton Mills
, Belfast North
Is my right hon. Friend aware that I know of at least three seamen who served in the area of the atomic explosions and who have contracted leukaemia but have great difficulty in proving any scientific connection between the two events? Will not my right hon. Friend look into this with a view to helping these men? Can he confirm that there is no link between atomic explosions and this disease?
Mr Anthony Barber
, Doncaster
All I can say is that I have looked into the suggestion, which my hon. Friend has previously made, that fine radioactive ash fell on the aircraft carrier "Implacable" in August, 1945. There is no Admiralty record of such ash having fallen and, after very careful inquiries, I do not think that any research is called for. If my hon. Friend has any further information, however, I shall be happy to consider it.
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.
