HC Deb 28 June 1917 vol 95 cc517-8
10. Mr. WING

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour how many of the 50,000 men placed during the year 1916 were placed in the Army Reserve, Class W and Class P, and in munition works and other work of National Service, and for how many of them was civil employment found through the Labour Bureaux; if a number of discharged and disabled men are reluctant to apply for employment through their fear that they will suffer thereby loss or diminution of their pensions; and if he will give instructions that full and clear information shall be given to all disabled men with regard to this matter, so that they may not be deterred from applying for employment?

Mr. HODGE

The number of 50,000, to which the hon. Member refers represents, approximately, the total number of discharged sailors and soldiers placed in civil employment by the Employment Exchanges from April, 1915, to the present time. The exact number up to the 11th May was 52,724. The number includes neither placings of men transferred to an Army Reserve nor placings of discharged men other than through the Employment Exchanges. I am unable to say how many of the placings could be appropriately described as being in work of National Service. A large number of men have been placed in employment upon munitions work; and I may mention that up to the 11th May 9,051 had been placed upon work in engineering, and 4,009 upon the manufacture of chemicals; 3,459 in the building trades or upon the construction of works. A further 11,552 were found employment in connection with transport work, and 13,599 as general labourers, of whom a large number are, no doubt, employed upon urgent Government work. Discharged men have been found work in connection with practically every branch of industry. The point raised in the latter part of the hon. Member's question is a matter for the Minister of Pensions, who has caused it to be made widely known that, once a man's disability has been determined and his pension fixed, no reduction whatever can be, made on account of anything he may earn. I understand that further efforts are being made to secure a wide circulation of the assurance in question among the men concerned.