Patricia Hornsby-Smith interviewed

Patricia Hornsby-Smith interviewed; ENGLAND: London: Saville Row: INT Patricia Hornsby-Smith (Parliamentary Secretary to the Home Office) interview SOF - [Q: Are you the first woman to hold a ministerial post in one of the three great departments of state?] I rather think I am, if I remember rightly Miss Ellen Wilkinson was in the Department of Home Security, but of the three departments - Treasury, Foreign Office and Home Dept - I think I am the first woman to go into one of the 'big three'; I am very proud to have been put into such a long-standing department, one that has been part of our government for so many years / - [Q: Mr Butler has got two posts really, will more work fall on you than normal?] That is for him to decide but in any event there is a pretty heavy programme of legislation ... plenty for all of us to do ... / - [Q: What aspect of the work will interest you most?] ... carryover from this dept, for five and a half years have been concerned with human problems, the Home Office is very much concerned also with another branch of human problems, deprived children will be of particular interest to me, I have been looking after the health of children in many aspects here, then there are the matrimonial problems ... people who go to Borstall instead of going to prison, wide and full interest, quite a follow-up ... / - [Q: Interest in crime and criminal problems?] Interest but not experience [laughter] / TX 18.1.57 / 10.45pm