Oral Answers to Questions — Unemployment. – in the House of Commons at on 13 March 1929.
Mr David Grenfell
, Gower
asked the Minister of Labour whether he can give the total loss in working days through unemployment since the 8th November, 1920, and the loss through industrial disputes in the same period?
Sir Henry Betterton
, Rushcliffe
It is estimated that during the eight years 1921 to 1928, inclusive, the total number of working days lost by insured persons in Great Britain through unemployment was approximately 3,377,000,000. During the same period approximately 296,700,000 working days were lost through trade disputes.
Mr David Grenfell
, Gower
asked the Minister of Labour whether he will give the figures of unemployment in the week ending 3rd March, 1929, and for the corresponding week in 1925 for the following trades: coal mining, iron and steel, blast furnaces, tinplate manufacturing, shipbuilding, textiles, and engineering, with the number of men in employment in each case on the dates given?
Sir Henry Betterton
, Rushcliffe
The reply involves a tabular statement which is being prepared and which, with the hon. Member's permission, I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
Sir Nicholas Grattan-Doyle
, Newcastle upon Tyne North
asked the Minister of Labour the number of insured workers in those industries in which unemployment is abnormal; and the number of insured workers in industries in which the state of unemployment is not in excess of normal?
Sir Henry Betterton
, Rushcliffe
I am afraid that I cannot undertake to classify industries in the manner suggested. I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of the Ministry of Labour Gazette for February, in which he will find a list of 100 industry groups, with the number of insured workers and the unemployment percentage stated against each.
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.
