Oral Answers to Questions — Scotland. – in the House of Commons at on 6 February 1929.
Mr Robert Dennison
, Birmingham King's Norton
asked the Minister of Labour what action, if any, his Department has taken to effect a setlement of the dispute between the owners and the operatives in the manufactured iron trade in the West of Scot- land; is he aware that a board of conciliation and arbitration has been in existence for 32 years and that the practice of the industry has been to settle differences without stoppage of work; that arbitration has been refused by the employers and that the workpeople have been locked out; and, seeing that (although certain of these manufacturers have been requested by the Admiralty to tender for contracts) the fair wages Clause is not being observed, he will take immediate steps to deal with the situation?
Mr Arthur Steel-Maitland
, Birmingham Erdington
My Department has been in close touch with both sides with a view to assisting them in reaching an amicable settlement, which, in view of the facts to which the hon. Member refers, I hope will yet be achieved. The question as regards the fair wages Clauses is a matter for the contracting departments concerned.
Mr Robert Dennison
, Birmingham King's Norton
In view of the Prime Minister's pledge on behalf of the Government to have "Peace in our time, O Lord," will the Department that is concerned with peace in industry bring the employers to book in respect to these matters?
Mr Arthur Steel-Maitland
, Birmingham Erdington
I am doing my best to get peace in all these industries and all these districts.
Reverend James Barr
, Motherwell
Will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that in a Constituency like my own, where there has been very prolonged distress, this dispute is adding greatly to that distress, and will he use all his good offices and all pressure to bring this unfortunate dispute to an end?
Mr Arthur Steel-Maitland
, Birmingham Erdington
I am always using what good offices I can, but I always have to use discretion. Some times, if one interferes indiscreetly or unwisely, one does harm and not good, but so far as I can I do my best to bring the parties together.
Mr Neil Maclean
, Glasgow Govan
Will the right hon. Gentleman do his best to bring before the Prime Minister, with a view to laying the matter before the various contracting Departments, the fact that several of these firms which are doing Government contracts have locked out their men?
Mr David Kirkwood
, Dumbarton District of Burghs
Is the right hon. Gentleman aware of the fact that for 32 years there has been no dispute, that a conciliation board has been in working order, and that this is the first time it has broken down, because the employers have refused to go to arbitration—not the men, but the employers?
A parliamentary bill is divided into sections called clauses.
Printed in the margin next to each clause is a brief explanatory `side-note' giving details of what the effect of the clause will be.
During the committee stage of a bill, MPs examine these clauses in detail and may introduce new clauses of their own or table amendments to the existing clauses.
When a bill becomes an Act of Parliament, clauses become known as sections.
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.
In a general election, each Constituency chooses an MP to represent them. MPs have a responsibility to represnt the views of the Constituency in the House of Commons. There are 650 Constituencies, and thus 650 MPs. A citizen of a Constituency is known as a Constituent
