Oral Answers to Questions — Employment – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 16 Mawrth 1964.
Mr Edwin Wainwright
, Dearne Valley
12:00,
16 Mawrth 1964
asked the Minister of Labour if he will give the number of unemployed registered in the Mexborough Employment Exchange area at the latest available date.
Mr William Whitelaw
, Penrith and The Border
Nine hundred and nine on 10th February.
Mr Edwin Wainwright
, Dearne Valley
Does the hon. Gentleman not think that the figures for this district are rather alarming? Could he say how many of these men were employed at Messrs. Baker and Bessemer? Is he not aware that Messrs. Baker and Bessemer will close down on the 28th of this month, which will swell the numbers of unemployed by another 200 or 300? Does he not know that the unemployed men in this district are disgusted at the complacency which he and his right hon. Friend are showing? Will he consult the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development with a view to getting some industries into this area and taking over this vacant site?
Mr William Whitelaw
, Penrith and The Border
Of the 853 discharged by Messrs. Baker and Bessemer, 86 men and 12 women are registered as unemployed at Mexborough Employment Exchange and 18 men are registered at other nearby offices. As for the remainder who will lose their jobs in the melting shop, their prospects of employment are reasonably good. I can assure the hon. Gentleman that there is no hint of complacency so far as my right hon. Friend or I myself are concerned. I am sure that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development will take note of what the hon. Gentleman has said about getting new industry into the area.
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.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
