Oral Answers to Questions — Overseas Development – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 15 Rhagfyr 1964.
Mr Dudley Smith
, Brentford and Chiswick
12:00,
15 Rhagfyr 1964
asked the Minister of Overseas Development what initiative she is taking towards the establishment of a World Development Authority.
Mrs Barbara Castle
, Blackburn
None yet, Sir.
Mr Dudley Smith
, Brentford and Chiswick
Does not the Minister remember her fiery and crusading speech in the House in February, when she envisaged a world authority giving much increased aid and subsidised by a world income tax? As she then said that this would be given priority if the Labour Party came to power, should not the right hon. Lady now be giving a lead to the United Nations? [Interruption.]
Mrs Barbara Castle
, Blackburn
I certainly remember that speech. It was an excellent speech. I am glad that the hon. Member has studied it with special care and, apparently, approves its contents. The establishment of a World Development Authority is, of course, a very long-term initiative and it is one that would have to be considered in the light of the recent United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, which has been a new development since I made that speech. In the meantime, however, the very establishment of this Ministry, which enables us both to plan more effectively our own internal aid and to establish more effective relationships with other donor countries and with United Nations agencies in this field, is a most useful step in this direction.
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.
