Oral Answers to Questions — Industrial Disputes. – in the House of Commons at on 5 August 1924.
Lieut-Colonel Charles Howard-Bury
, Wolverhampton Bilston
asked the Minister of Labour whether he has any further information with regard to the trade dispute at Messrs. Alfred Hickman's steel works at Bilston: and will he take steps to sea that those men of the Iron and Steel Trade Confederation who have been thrown out of work as the result of action taken by another trade union draw their unemployment pay at once?
Miss Margaret Bondfield
, Northampton
I have no further information in regard to the dispute in question. Appeals against the disallowance of benefit up to date of the operation of the Act recently passed are to be heard by the Court of Referees to-morrow. Whatever the decision on the claims prior to 1st August, all claims will be reviewed by the insurance officer as from that date in the light of the provisions of the Act recently passed. I should mention that the decision in cases of this kind does not rest with the Minister.
A group of workers who have united to promote their common interests.
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.
