Oral Answers to Questions — Unemployment. – in the House of Commons am ar 18 Mehefin 1924.
Sir Patrick Hannon
, Birmingham Moseley
asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that the week ending 9th June showed an increase of nearly 5,000 over the preceding week in the numbers of unemployed persons in the Midlands Division; and whether he can state how much the increase in unemployment in the motor and auxiliary trades contributes to this total?
Mr Thomas Shaw
, Preston
The statistics of unemployment for the Midlands Division for the 9th June show an increase as compared with the 2nd June, but detailed statistics on an industrial basis are compiled only at monthly intervals, and I am unable at present to state what particular industries are affected.
Sir Patrick Hannon
, Birmingham Moseley
Can the hon. Gentleman institute some means of informing the House whether or not unemployment is being caused by the abandonment of the McKenna Duties?
Mr Thomas Shaw
, Preston
I regret very much that I have to give these answers; but the Statistical Department of the Ministry was very badly cut down and the men are doing their best to give answers as well as they can. I will give the hon. Member the information as soon as I can.
Lieut-Colonel Charles Howard-Bury
, Wolverhampton Bilston
Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the greatest increase in unemployment is in. those towns that manufacture motor-cars or spare parts of motor-cars?
Mr Joseph Compton
, Manchester, Gorton
Will the right hon. Gentleman also inform the House of the fact that the workmen who received their notices of dismissal the day following the Debate on the McKenna Duties, are still at work?
Mr Thomas Shaw
, Preston
I am not aware that the statement made in the first supplementary question is a fact, nor am I aware of the circumstances stated in the second supplementary question.
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.
The House of Commons votes by dividing. Those voting Aye (yes) to any proposition walk through the division lobby to the right of the Speaker and those voting no through the lobby to the left. In each of the lobbies there are desks occupied by Clerks who tick Members' names off division lists as they pass through. Then at the exit doors the Members are counted by two Members acting as tellers. The Speaker calls for a vote by announcing "Clear the Lobbies". In the House of Lords "Clear the Bar" is called. Division Bells ring throughout the building and the police direct all Strangers to leave the vicinity of the Members’ Lobby. They also walk through the public rooms of the House shouting "division". MPs have eight minutes to get to the Division Lobby before the doors are closed. Members make their way to the Chamber, where Whips are on hand to remind the uncertain which way, if any, their party is voting. Meanwhile the Clerks who will take the names of those voting have taken their place at the high tables with the alphabetical lists of MPs' names on which ticks are made to record the vote. When the tellers are ready the counting process begins - the recording of names by the Clerk and the counting of heads by the tellers. When both lobbies have been counted and the figures entered on a card this is given to the Speaker who reads the figures and announces "So the Ayes [or Noes] have it". In the House of Lords the process is the same except that the Lobbies are called the Contents Lobby and the Not Contents Lobby. Unlike many other legislatures, the House of Commons and the House of Lords have not adopted a mechanical or electronic means of voting. This was considered in 1998 but rejected. Divisions rarely take less than ten minutes and those where most Members are voting usually take about fifteen. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P9 at the UK Parliament site.
