§ 12.51 p.m.
The Minister of National Insurance (Mr, James Griffiths)With your permission, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and that of the House, I should like to make a statement on a matter which has been giving some concern, namely, the effect of the waiting days' requirements of the present Unemployment Insurance Act on the large numbers of persons who are having to claim unemployment benefit during the present emergency. I have decided to use powers given to me in the National Insurance Act, 1946, to anticipate the operation of the waiting day provisions of that Act. I propose, therefore, to make regulations forthwith to bring the present Unemployment Insurance scheme into line with the new Act in this respect.
The effect will be that any waiting days served on or after Monday, 10th February, 1947, will rank for payment of benefit in cases where the claimant is unemployed for 12 days or more. Where the claimant is not unemployed for 12 days or more in a run but suffers from broken periods of unemployment amounting in all to 12 days, they may be joined up in certain circumstances under the existing continuity rules, but in order that payment may become due for the first three days, all the 12 days of unemployment must occur within 13 weeks as is provided in the new Act.
§ Mr. Eden (Warwick and Leamington)I feel sure the House will approve the action of the right hon. Gentleman in coming down to the House and making 708 this announcement here before the House disperses. It really is of importance that in these difficult days the House should be kept informed on all matters which are of deep concern to our constituents. On the merits of what the right hon. Gentleman has just said, perhaps I might observe that, as has been previously stated, so far as wall considered action is taken by the Government to deal with the present ever widening emergency, the right hon. Gentleman can count on our support for that action because it is all-important that the nation should emerge as early as possible from its present trouble, and it is equally important to ensure that those troubles cause as little suffering as may be to the population of our land. As it seems to me, this proposal of the right hon. Gentleman will have that effect—that is to say, it will reduce the suffering that might otherwise have occurred—and, therefore, we on this side of the House are glad the Government have taken that decision and will support it. I know the right hon. Gentleman will not misunderstand me if I add that this does not preclude our criticising some other features of the present situation at a later date.
§ Mr. Osbert Peake (Leeds, North)May I ask the right hon. Gentleman one question arising out of his statement? While nobody will quarrel with him for bringing into operation the provisions of the National Insurance Act, which Parliament has only recently approved, in relation to waiting days, is he assured that he can make regulations today or tomorrow which will have retroactive operation to Past Monday?
§ Mr. J. GriffithsI have taken advice on that very point, and I am assured that the action I am taking is within the powers given to me in the Act for bringing portions of the Act as desirable into operation in this transitional period.