Oral Answers to Questions — Ministry of Defence – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 22 Rhagfyr 1965.
Sir Alexander Spearman
, Scarborough and Whitby
12:00,
22 Rhagfyr 1965
asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will release those who wish to leave the Royal Navy in those cases where they were under 16 years of age at the time of joining.
Mr Joseph Mallalieu
, Huddersfield East
No, Sir. However, the hon. Member will recall the statement by my hon. Friend the Minister of Defence for the Royal Navy, in the debate on the Second Reading of the Armed Forces Bill last week, that the Navy is considering coming into line with the army and Royal Air Force with regard to giving a right to a recruit to discharge himself very early in his period of recruitment.
Sir Alexander Spearman
, Scarborough and Whitby
Does not the Minister think that the examination could be speeded up, and does he not agree that it is hard on a boy joining under the age of 15 if he has to be kept against his will for many years? Is he much good to himself or to the Navy in those circumstances?
Mr Joseph Mallalieu
, Huddersfield East
I think that the hon. Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Sir A. Spearman) has a point, and I will look at it speedily.
Mr Paul Rose
, Manchester, Blackley
Has my hon. Friend given consideration to the suggestion that I made some time ago that an option to leave the Service should be permitted at the end of three years of a long engagement?
Mr Joseph Mallalieu
, Huddersfield East
We have, in fact, considered that solution. I do not think that it is the best way of going about it.
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.
The Second Reading is the most important stage for a Bill. It is when the main purpose of a Bill is discussed and voted on. If the Bill passes it moves on to the Committee Stage. Further information can be obtained from factsheet L1 on the UK Parliament website.
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.
