Oral Answers to Questions — Transport. – in the House of Commons at on 28 June 1933.
Mr William Lunn
, Rothwell
asked the Minister of Health if he is now in a position to state the total expenditure on all forms of Poor Law relief for the year ended 31st March, 1933?
Mr Geoffrey Shakespeare
, Norwich
No, Sir. I am afraid that it will be a long time before my right hon. Friend will have received from the local authorities the particulars on which a definite reply or even a valid estimate could be based.
Mr William Lunn
, Rothwell
Will the hon. Gentleman be able to give a definite answer before the end of the Session?
Mr Geoffrey Shakespeare
, Norwich
I am afraid not. I am afraid that I misled the hon. Gentleman last time. We received last March the actual expenditure in respect of the previous year.
Mr George Buchanan
, Glasgow Gorbals
Can we get it when we meet again, seeing how necessary these figures are in connection with the discussions that will take place an unemployment insurance? Will he at least see that the hon. Gentleman gets the figures when we meet after the Recess?
Mr Geoffrey Shakespeare
, Norwich
We shall not get the items of actual expenditure till early in the new year.
Mr George Buchanan
, Glasgow Gorbals
Is it not very necessary, in view of the important discussions on unemployment insurance, to get at least some basis of figures when the new Bill is introduced after the Recess?
Mr Geoffrey Shakespeare
, Norwich
I will consider that.
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.
