Oral Answers to Questions — Employment – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 10 July 1947.
Mr Cyril Osborne
, Louth Borough
12:00,
10 July 1947
asked the Minister of Labour if it is the Government's policy that all avoidable absentees and unofficial strikers in nationalised industries shall in future be prosecuted; and if he will make a statement.
Mr George Isaacs
, Southwark North
No, Sir.
Mr Cyril Osborne
, Louth Borough
Does not the Minister think that it is very unfortunate that miners are being threatened with prison, and will he see that this persecution mania is not applied to other nationalised industries?
Mr George Isaacs
, Southwark North
It is most comforting to us to have the hon. Gentleman's interest in this question of so-called persecution, but the point is that if any action is taken it will be taken by the National Coal Board as an employer against a person guilty of a breach of contract, and that is not a question of just absenteeism.
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.
