Oral Answers to Questions — Employment – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 20 October 1949.
Major Donald Bruce
, Portsmouth North
12:00,
20 October 1949
asked the Minister of Labour how many working days have been lost through industrial disputes since the end of the war; and how many were lost during the comparable period after the 1914–18 war.
Mr George Isaacs
, Southwark North
The number of working days lost through industrial disputes causing stoppage of work from V.E. day to the end of September, 1949, was approximately 10¼ million. In the corresponding period after 1914–18 war, the number was nearly 170 million.
Mr Selwyn Lloyd
, Wirral
Do not the figures Oven by the right hon. Gentleman make all the more blameworthy the mess which the Government are making of the economic position?
Mr George Isaacs
, Southwark North
If it is blameworthy so to arrange industrial conditions in this country to prevent people coming out on strike, we accept the blame.
Professor Douglas Savory
, Queen's University of Belfast
How many of these strikes were unofficial? How many hours were taken up purely by unofficial strikes?
Mr George Isaacs
, Southwark North
That I could not say without notice, and even then it would not be a complete check-up.
Mr Samuel Silverman
, Nelson and Colne
Can my right hon. Friend give the corresponding figures for official and unofficial strikes for the same period in the United States?
Mr George Isaacs
, Southwark North
No, Sir, I could not, but I think they would show a rather startling difference.
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.
