Britain: An official handbook > 1956

BRITAIN: AN OFFICIAL HANDBOOK
5°
locally by either the Local Education Authority, under a scheme approved by the
Minister, or the Ministry’s local office; (3) collection and publication of informa¬
tion and’statistics relating to manpower, employment and unemployment, wage
rates, earnings, hours of labour, retail prices, industrial disputes, employers and
employees’ organizations, and industrial accidents and diseases, (4) manpower
policy and co-operation with other Government Departments on matters of general
employment policy, including the distribution of industry and the maintenance of
a high and stable level of employment; (5) registration, medical examination and
calling-up of men under the National Service Acts and deferment and postpone¬
ment of call-up; (6) resettlement in civil employment of men called up under the
National Service Acts or released from service in the Regular Forces; (7) adminis¬
tration of the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act, 1944, to enable disabled persons
to secure employment including provision, where necessary, of courses of industrial
rehabilitation and vocational training; (8) employment of older men and women;
(9) administration and enforcement of the Factories Acts, 1937 and 1948. and the
Employment of Women and Young Persons Act, 1936, and dealing generally with
questions concerning the safety, health and welfare of workpeople in factories and
certain other premises; (10) administration of the Anthrax Prevention Act, 19191
and of the Government Wool Disinfecting Station at Liverpool; (11) questions
affecting industrial relations, i.e. relations between employers and employed, in
particular (a) assistance in the prevention or settlement of industrial disputes,
including the administration of the Conciliation Act, 1896, the Industrial Courts
Act, 1919, and the Industrial Disputes Order, 1951. (&) administration of the
Wages Councils Act, 1945 to 1948, (c) administration of the Catering Wages Act,
1943, and (d) encouragement of good personnel management and of arrangements
for joint consultation in industry; (12) employment of foreign workers in Great
Britain; (13) labour policy in the international field including relations with the
International Labour Organization, and oversea questions concerning labour and
employment; (14) agency work for other Government Departments in connection
with National Insurance, National Assistance, repayment of income tax to unem¬
ployed persons, and the issue of passports when obtained locally through Employ¬
ment Exchanges.
The Law Officers’ Department
The Law Officers of the Crown for England and Wales' (the Attorney-General
and the Solicitor-General) are the legal advisers to the Crown and to all Govern¬
ment Departments and appear in Court on their behalf in cases of importance.
In such cases the Law Officers are assisted by Junior Counsel to the Treasury.
The appointments, which are made from among the more distinguished members
of the English Bar, are generally, though not invariably, political and the office
holders change with the Government.
The Attorney-General has a number of important functions in regard to the
administration of justice and he has wide powers in connection with the enforce¬
ment of the criminal law. The Director of Public Prosecutions acts under his
superintendence and is subject to his directions. The Attorney-General is the
senior Law Officer but the Solicitor-General as his deputy acts for him in all cases
where he is authorized or required to do so.
The Lord Chancellor’s Department
The Chancellorship is a legislative, judicial and executive office always carrying
Cabinet rank in peace time. The office is political in that it is held by an eminent
1 For details of the Law Officers for Scotland, see p. 57.