Oral Answers to Questions — Pensions and National Insurance – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 16 Tachwedd 1964.
Mr Jon Rankin
, Glasgow Govan
12:00,
16 Tachwedd 1964
asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many of her headquarters are situated outside London; in what places; and how many persons they employ.
Miss Peggy Herbison
, Lanarkshire North
There are two central offices, situated in Newcastle and Blac-kpool, employing 9,256 and 1,820 staff, respectively, and an office at Reading with 42 staff outstationed from the London headquarters, where 1,378 staff are employed.
Mr Jon Rankin
, Glasgow Govan
Within her own sphere, will my right hon. Friend press forward with this policy of dispersing Government headquarters from London? In reaching her decision, will she, in appropriate cases, always give precedence to the factor of the incidence of unemployment?
Miss Peggy Herbison
, Lanarkshire North
Certainly, but I am sure my hon. Friend will appreciate that mine is one of those Ministries which has so far taken a great deal of the work out into the provinces.
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.
