Oral Answers to Questions — Unemployment. – in the House of Commons am ar 1 Gorffennaf 1925.
Mr Thomas Johnston
, Dundee
asked the Minister of Labour whether he has issued a Circular to Employment Exchange managers ordering that no payment of dependants' benefit be paid in respect of any dependant in receipt of an old age pension; and whether, in view of the declared policy of the Government to remove restrictions and penalties upon old age pensions, he will have Circular 82/15 withdrawn?
Mr Arthur Steel-Maitland
, Birmingham Erdington
Presumably, the hon. Member refers to paragraph 128 of Memorandum L.E.C. 82/15. I consider that any other procedure would be in breach of Sub- section (1) of Section 1 of the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1922, and I cannot therefore withdraw the Circular.
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.
