Oral Answers to Questions — Employment – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 7 Rhagfyr 1964.
Mr Jock Bruce-Gardyne
, South Angus
12:00,
7 Rhagfyr 1964
asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the number of wage thefts, he will seek co-operation from the trades unions to extend the payment of wages by cheque.
Mr Ernest Thornton
, Farnworth
Under the Payment of Wages Act, 1960, the individual worker can decide whether he wants to be paid by cheque. I would not wish to interfere with this freedom of choice.
Mr Jock Bruce-Gardyne
, South Angus
Yes, but would not the hon. Gentleman agree that the progress in achieving acceptance by the unions of payment by cheque has been highly unsatisfactory since the passage of the Act, and does he not feel that the time has come to urge upon the unions the need for additional use of this procedure?
Mr Ernest Thornton
, Farnworth
I am quite satisfied from my experience that the unions generally know what is in the best interests of their members. I should certainly not feel justified in exerting any influence upon them. Bearing in mind ordinary banking facilities and working hours, even hon. Members would be asking for some of their salary to be paid in cash if it were not for the special facilities that we have at the Post Office.
Mr Cyril Osborne
, Louth Borough
Would not the hon. Gentleman agree that the best way to stop wage thefts is to punish more severely those who thieve?
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.
