Oral Answers to Questions — Unemployment. – in the House of Commons am ar 27 Mehefin 1933.
Mr William Mabane
, Huddersfield
asked the Minister of Labour what average figure of unemployment throughout the year is provided for by the original Estimate and Supplementary Estimate for the present financial year now approved for his Department?
Sir Henry Betterton
, Rushcliffe
The original Estimate was sufficient to cover a volume of unemployment roughly equivalent to that experienced last year, or, in round figures about 2,800,000. Since that Estimate was prepared there has, I am glad to say, been a substantial fall in the live register, but I thought it best to prepare the Supplementary Estimate on the same basis, particularly as it related almost entirely to transitional payments, which may not reflect very quickly the improvement in the general industrial situation.
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.
