Oral Answers to Questions — Industry, Trade and Regional Development – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 11 Mehefin 1964.
Mr Albert Oram
, East Ham South
12:00,
11 Mehefin 1964
asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development if the limit for export credit guarantees has been reached in the case of Rumania.
Mr Edward Du Cann
, Taunton
No, Sir.
Mr Albert Oram
, East Ham South
Since Rumania is showing a rather dissident attitude towards Comecon and is interested in trade with the West, particularly in heavy industrial goods including an atomic reactor, can the Minister assure us that industrialists will not be hamstrung in this market by the lack of suitable credit facilities, and is not this aspect of the matter particularly important in view of the recently concluded agreement between the United States and Rumania?
Mr Edward Du Cann
, Taunton
The factual position is that cover clearly cannot be unlimited in respect of these markets. There is, however, plenty of room to accommodate new business, and we are certainly hopeful that business will ensue.
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.
