84. Lieut.-Colonel ALLENasked the Ministry of Labour whether by the new Unemployment Insurance Bill it is intended to reduce the benefit from 20s. to 15s. for men and from 16s. to 12s. for women; whether he is aware that in many cases men earning £3 and upwards and working three days per week under the existing law may also draw the £1 unemployment benefit, whilst others, unable to obtain any employment, draw the same amount of benefit; and, if this is so, will he consider the advisability of 230 adopting a sliding scale of unemployment benefit to be paid according to the earning capacity of the individual or the days of employment per week?
May I point out that owing to a technical error the drawing of £1 unemployment benefit in the question should be 10s., but the error does not affect the principle of the question.
§ Sir M. BARLOWThe answer I had prepared is as follows. The facts are as stated in the first part of the question. It is not the fact that persons working three days per week may draw the full benefit of 20s. per week? A person working half-time as described would in no circumstances be entitled to more than half the weekly rate of benefit. The Unemployment Insurance Acts already provide for a proportionate reduction in the amount of benefit paid according to the days of employment per week, but it would be impracticable to adopt a sliding scale according to the earning capacity of the individual.