Oral Answers to Questions — Unemployment. – in the House of Commons am ar 12 Mawrth 1924.
Mr Thomas Groves
, West Ham Stratford
asked the Minister of Labour if he will investigate the effect of compulsory daily attendance at Employment Exchanges for signature; and whether he will consider the possibility of the unemployed workpeople signing one week in the morning and the following week in the afternoon, thus giving additional chances of looking round for jobs in the morning, the most suitable time?
Mr Thomas Shaw
, Preston
The present practice at many Exchanges of requiring claimants to attend at stated times has been adopted in order to prevent congestion and long waiting. The Times fixed for individuals are changed periodically. The ordinary rule for normal times is that claimants may attend at any time between certain hours of the morning and afternoon, and at Exchanges where the numbers claiming are not too large this is the practice now.
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.
