Oral Answers to Questions — Unemployment. – in the House of Commons at on 13 February 1924.
Sir Kingsley Wood
, Woolwich West
asked the Minister of Health whether he has received the Report of the Committee of Inquiry appointed to consider the remuneration to be paid to National Health Insurance practitioners; and what steps he proposes to take in the matter?
Mr John Wheatley
, Glasgow Shettleston
The recommendations of the court of inquiry have already been published, but I am not at this stage prepared to anticipate the provisions of any legislation required to give effect to these recommendations.
Sir Kingsley Wood
, Woolwich West
Can the right hon. Gentleman say what is the extra sum involved as a result of the Report? Is he prepared to receive a deputation of representatives of approved societies who have some regard to their funds, before he comes to any decision on this matter?
Mr John Wheatley
, Glasgow Shettleston
The whole matter is now receiving the consideration of the Cabinet, and a statement will be made as early as possible.
Mr William Pringle
, Penistone
Is not every Member of the Cabinet—without one exception— pledged not to take any money legally belonging to these societies?
Sir Kingsley Wood
, Woolwich West
asked the Prime Minister whether he proposes to advise the setting up of a Royal Commission to investigate the medical service under the National Insurance Act and kindred matters?
Mr Ramsay Macdonald
, Aberavon
Perhaps the hon. Member will he good enough to put the question down for this day week, when I shall be able to give him a reply.
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.
The cabinet is the group of twenty or so (and no more than 22) senior government ministers who are responsible for running the departments of state and deciding government policy.
It is chaired by the prime minister.
The cabinet is bound by collective responsibility, which means that all its members must abide by and defend the decisions it takes, despite any private doubts that they might have.
Cabinet ministers are appointed by the prime minister and chosen from MPs or peers of the governing party.
However, during periods of national emergency, or when no single party gains a large enough majority to govern alone, coalition governments have been formed with cabinets containing members from more than one political party.
War cabinets have sometimes been formed with a much smaller membership than the full cabinet.
From time to time the prime minister will reorganise the cabinet in order to bring in new members, or to move existing members around. This reorganisation is known as a cabinet re-shuffle.
The cabinet normally meets once a week in the cabinet room at Downing Street.
