§ Mr. Adleyasked the Prime Minister in how many years since 1945 there have been individual Ministers responsible for the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force, respectively.
334W
§ The Prime MinisterThirty-six. From 1945 to 1964 the Service Departments were the responsibility of a Secretary of State (First Lord of the Admiralty in the case of the Royal Navy). In 1964 the Admiralty, War Office and Air Ministry were amalgamated with the Ministry of Defence and responsibility for individual Services passed to Ministers of Defence under a Secretary of State. From 1967, Under-Secretaries of State took the responsibility until, in June 1981, I announced the appointment of a Minister of State for the Armed Forces and an Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces, with responsibility for all three Services.