Oral Answers to Questions — Overseas Development – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 15 Rhagfyr 1964.
Mr Stratton Mills
, Belfast North
12:00,
15 Rhagfyr 1964
asked the Minister of Overseas Development what formal relationship exists between her Department and the International Labour Organisation; and what is the extent of this relationship.
Mrs Barbara Castle
, Blackburn
Formal relations between Her Majesty's Government and the International Labour Organisation are the responsibility of my colleague the Minister of Labour with whose officers my Ministry works closely on I.L.O. matters relating to aid and development as part of my responsibility for co-ordinating British policy in this field.
Mr Stratton Mills
, Belfast North
Does the Minister recall that in her statement on 10th November, referring to the Specialised Agencies, she did not refer to the work in co-ordination with this United Nations specialised department? Will she give an assurance that she will pay particular regard to its valuable management training courses?
Mrs Barbara Castle
, Blackburn
In my statement of 10th November, I pointed out that I had general responsibility for coordinating British policy in respect of the aid and development work of the United Nations and its Specialised Agencies. I also pointed out that I would be taking over the executive responsibility for our relations with F.A.O. and U.N.E.S.C.O. These are Specialised Agencies which have a particular activity in this field. That is why I have taken over executive responsibility for them, but not for the I.L.O., which is concerned with many industrial matters which are more the interest of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour.
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.