§ 2. Mr. PERRYasked the Minister of Labour whether, under the new proposals of the Government, any of the unemployed persons claiming transitional benefit and referred to public assistance committees for the determination of their needs and rate of benefit, if any, payable, will have any right of appeal against the decisions of the public assistance committees?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONIt is contemplated that the assessment of the needs of individual cases will be made by the ordinary machinery of the public assistance authority and that there will be no appeal to any other authority.
§ Mr. PERRYIs the Minister aware that this takes away a very valuable right from the unemployed person; in fact, sets up a Poor Law dictatorship?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI do not accept the statement of the hon. Member as to 998 a Poor Law dictatorship. What I have said is that the procedure of the public assistance committee in assessing need will be precisely what it is at present.
§ Mr. PERRYIs it not a fact that the unemployed person will have no right of appeal against the assessment of need?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONThat is precisely what I have said.
§ Mr. LAWSONIs not this an alteration of conditions of the law which is not even contemplated in the Economy Bill?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI do not agree. It was agreed to by the last Government.
Lieut.-Colonel WATTS-MORGANIs the Minister aware that in the County of Glamorgan there will be 10,000 cases which will come before the Public Assistance Committee?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI am not aware of the figures given by the hon. and gallant Member.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSIn the case of an ex-Service man falling within the transitional stage and in receipt of a disability pension, can the Minister say whether the pension will be taken into account in considering the question of unemployment benefit?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONThat is a totally different question; perhaps the hon. Member will put it down.
§ Mr. BATEYWhen the amount is fixed by the Public Assistance Committee will it be granted by way of loan as Poor Law relief which is now repayable?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONNo, Sir. What will happen is that the need will be assessed by the Public Assistance Committee, and it will be paid out of Exchequer funds, as it is to-day.
§ Major HERBERT EVANSMay I inquire—
§ Mr. SPEAKERWe are getting a long way from the question on the Paper.
§ 6. Mr. LAWSONasked the Minister of Labour if he can give an estimate of the number of unemployed persons who will 999 be placed in the transition category when the 26 weeks' rule begins to operate in the case of those then on standard benefit?
§ 9. Mr. WELLOCKasked the Minister of Labour what is the éstimated number of unemployed workers which the new condition for obtaining standard benefit. will deprive of such benefit?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONFigures giving the latest available information on the points raised in these questions are in course of preparation, and I will circulate them in the OFFICIAL REPORT in the course of a day or two.