– in the House of Commons at on 17 April 1929.
Lieut-Colonel Sir Godfrey Dalrymple-White
, Southport
asked the Minister of Labour the official figures for the cost of food and for the cost of living for the second week in April for the years, 1922, 1924, and 1929, respectively?
Mr Arthur Steel-Maitland
, Birmingham Erdington
The Ministry of Labour cost-of-living index number statistics, which relate to the beginning of each month, show that at the beginning of April, 1922, the level of retail prices of food was approximately 73 per cent. above that of July, 1914, the corresponding percentage for all the items included in the statistics being 82. For the beginning of April, 1924, the figures were 67 and 73, respectively, and for the beginning of the present month they are 50 and 62, respectively.
Mr William Thorne
, West Ham Plaistow
Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that during 1922 wages fell something like £210,000,000?
Mr Arthur Steel-Maitland
, Birmingham Erdington
I am quite well aware of the facts that are obtainable as regards wage rates, and, taking the rate of wages and the cost of living together, there has been an increase of 8 per cent. since 1924.
Mr William Thorne
, West Ham Plaistow
Go and ask any housewife; she will tell you.
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.
