Minister (government) facts for kids

A Minister is a special person in the government, usually a Member of Parliament. This article will tell you about Ministers who work in the government.

Who are Government Ministers?

A Minister is a Member of Parliament (MP) who has an important job in the Government. They are in charge of a specific area, like education, health, or sports. In the British Government, there are Ministers for many different things. For example, there are Ministers for Children, Work & Pensions, and Culture, Media & Sport. We will explain what some of these Ministers do further down this page.

Ministers in the government work for the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister tells them what they need to do for their jobs. The Deputy Prime Minister also works for the Prime Minister. Some other important people, like the Foreign Secretary and the Home Secretary, are also Ministers, even if their title is different.

What Do Ministers Do?

Ministers have different jobs depending on their area of responsibility. Here are some examples:

Minister for Children

The Minister for Children looks after children's rights. These are rules that make sure children are treated well by their parents or guardians. A guardian is someone who looks after a child if their parents cannot. This Minister also cares about how children are looked after in society. Their job is very important for all children in the UK.

Minister for Work and Pensions

This Minister is in charge of jobs (this is called Employment) and money given to people who need help (these are called Welfare Benefits). They create the rules for people who do not have a job and are looking for one. They also decide how much money people who are unemployed or in need receive to live on. This Minister also sets rules for people who do not try hard enough to find a job, or who break the law by working while getting Welfare Benefits.

Minister for Culture, Media and Sport

This Minister has a special job to promote British culture and traditions. To promote means to make something popular. They also look after laws about broadcasting, like what television stations and radio can do. They also make rules about what newspapers can and cannot do.

Another important part of their job is to encourage sports in Britain. They help the government bring big sports events to the country. For example, Britain hosted the Olympic Games in 2012 because of their efforts.

There are many other Ministers in the government. You can learn more about them by visiting the Houses of Parliament in London.

Ministers in Other Countries

Other countries also have Ministers. Just like in Britain, these Ministers deal with special areas related to how people live. You can find out about them by looking at the Wikipedia in your own country.

Images for kids

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  Finland's first female ministers were brought to Finnish Parliament shortly after the turn of the 20th century. From left to right: Hedvig Gebhard (1867–1961), member of parliament, and Miina Sillanpää (1866–1952), Minister of Social Affairs, in 1910.

See also

In Spanish: Ministerio para niños