Oral Answers to Questions — Unemployment. – in the House of Commons at on 15 June 1933.
Mr George Buchanan
, Glasgow Gorbals
(for Mr. McGOVERN) asked the Minister of Labour the total number of persons who have been refused benefit under the Anomalies Act up-to-date and the total weekly amount thereby saved?
Sir Henry Betterton
, Rushcliffe
Between J9th October, 1931, and 31st May, 1933, 260,430 claims for insurance benefit or transitional payments were disallowed under the Anomalies Regulations by courts of referees in Great Britain. The figure relates to claims; the number of separate individuals concerned is not available. It is not practicable to make an accurate estimate of the saving, but it is roughly at the rate of £75,000 a week.
Mr George Buchanan
, Glasgow Gorbals
How can there be any saving on transitional payments seeing that persons covered by this Act are within the terms of standard benefit claims?
Sir Henry Betterton
, Rushcliffe
I do not quite follow the hon. Gentleman.
Mr George Buchanan
, Glasgow Gorbals
Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that all persons who are affected by the Anomalies Act have a stamp qualification for standard benefit, and therefore cannot be affected by transitional payments?
Sir Henry Betterton
, Rushcliffe
I think that the hon. Gentleman had better put that question down.
Mr George Buchanan
, Glasgow Gorbals
Is the right hon. Gentleman satisfied that there is a saving of this amount?
Sir Henry Betterton
, Rushcliffe
The saving under the Anomalies Act is roughly the figure which I have given in answer to the Question. What the effect of that might be in other directions I cannot say.
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.
