Oral Answers to Questions — Social Services – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 4 Rhagfyr 1973.
Miss Betty Boothroyd
, West Bromwich
12:00,
4 Rhagfyr 1973
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services to what extent the cuts in public expenditure announced on 8th October will affect the work being carried out on the new Hallan Hospital at West Bromwich.
Mr Michael Alison
, Barkston Ash
This work is not affected.
Miss Betty Boothroyd
, West Bromwich
I am delighted to have the assurance from the Minister that this important hospital will not be affected. Will he bear in mind the nurses' training school, because it is of vital importance in the Black Country, and will he commend it to other hospitals in the West Midlands?
Mr Michael Alison
, Barkston Ash
I am delighted that the hon. Lady is delighted, and I shall be delighted to bear in mind what she has asked me to bear in mind.
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.
