§ 28. Mr. FORRESTasked the Minister of Labour whether the records of women [...]n receipt of unemployment pay show the number who possess knowledge of domestic service work; if so, what that number is in each English county; and whether the officials of his Department do their best to impress on all these women with some knowledge of household duties the desirability of filling some of the innumerable vacant places which still await applicants?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThere were 13,261 women in receipt of unemployment benefit on 11th February who were registered fur domestic service, including service in hotels, boarding houses, etc. Corresponding figures for each county are not available. The Exchanges make every effort to fill domestic service vacancies. One of the great difficulties is, however, that the chief shortage is of resident servants, while the supply of suitable applicants mainly consists of non-resident servants. For instance, on 7th January there were on the average six resident vacancies for every suitable woman on the register, and on the other hand six women on the register for every non-resident vacancy.
Lieut.-Colonel Sir F. HALLIs the Department going to continue the payment of this out-of-work donation to women who undoubtedly will not accept the employment placed at their disposal?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe Act makes full provision for that. Applicants for benefit must be capable of, available for, and willing to undertake suitable work. That is the law. If is for the Exchange to refuse or suspend benefit, and then the 1786 matter goes to the Insurance Officer, and the Court of Referees, and, if necessary, to the Umpire.
Sir F. HALLDoes the Employment Department refuse to give this out-of-work donation, or does the Department over which my right hon. Friend presides so admirably treat it, not with that care and attention which naturally it should have, with the result that many of these women get the payment, and thereby stultify the desires of those who wish to give them employment?
§ Sir F. FLANNERYWill my right hon. Friend state what is the policy of the Department in distinguishing between resident and non-resident applicants for domestic service?
§ Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKIn view of the great number of women who could be placed in domestic employment, what steps has the right hon. Gentleman taken to arrange for classes so that these women may be trained in domestic work?
§ Mr. INSKIPCannot we have an answer to the question as to what is the Ministry of Labour's policy in distinguishing between, resident and non-resident applicants?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI am afraid I do not quite follow what my hon. Friend desires. Does he mean a classification of the applicants?
§ Sir F. FLANNERYMy right hon. Friend has distinguished between those who are applicants for resident and those for non-resident domestic service. I am asking him what is the rule of the Department in distinguishing or dividing such applicants into one class or the other.
§ Dr. MACNAMARAIn determining whether or not the applicant is entitled to benefit?
§ Sir F. FLANNERYYes
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe rules are precisely the same. We have to carry out the law, and I trust that the officials do so with proper care and attention. The law says that candidates must be capable of, available for, and unable to obtain suitable employment.
§ Mr. INSKIPYou added "and willing."
§ Dr. MACNAMARAYes, and willing to take suitable employment. It is the duty of the local Exchange to question the right to benefit. It would then be referred to the Insurance Officer, and the aggrieved person has open to her the Court of Referees and the Umpire to determine whether or not the benefit should be awarded or forfeited.
§ Sir W. DAVISONIn ascertaining whether the applicant is capable of performing the work, are the women questioned as to whether they have ever been in domestic service, or merely asked what their immediately preceding employmnt was?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI cannot compel an answer to any question. No doubt, if a question of that kind were put, and a candidate was disinclined to answer it, that would unquestionably raise the presumption that it was a case in which the right to benefit should be further examined.
§ Sir F. FLANNERYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that I happen to be one of the Court of Referees, and practically the question does arise whether or not an applicant who has had partial domestic service and is offered complete domestic service and refuses it, is available for benefit or not. My question is, What is the regulation made by the Ministry of Labour to distinguish between these two classes?
§ 36. Major MOLSONasked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware of the discontent caused by obliging women employed in domestic service in houses connected with business establishments to come under the Unemployment Insurance Act of 1920; whether a maid so employed who changes into domestic service in a private house would lose all benefits from the insurance money that she had paid; and whether he could see his way to remedy that injustice by exempting them from the Act as coming under the heading of domestic service?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAUnder Part II (b) of the First Schedule of the Act, employ- 1788 ment in domestic service in a trade or business carried on for the purposes of gain is compulsorily insurable. I am not aware of any widespread discontent with this provision of the Act. A domestic servant entering private service after paying contributions under the Act would retain the full benefit of these contributions for a year, and thereafter may at any time within five years from last paying contributions again secure the benefit of these contributions, if she re-enters insured employment and pays a further number of 12 contributions.
§ 42. Mr. E. HARMSWORTHasked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that women in domestic service before the War are registering for out-of-work pay for their war-time occupations; and whether, in view of the great demand for domestic servants, he is taking any steps to make it compulsory for these people to state their pre-War occupations?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAWomen previously engaged in domestic service who paid Unemployment Insurance contributions during the War are entitled to claim unemployment benefit in respect of these contributions, provided that they satisfy the statutory conditions, one of which is that they must be available for work but unable to obtain suitable employment. Applicants for benefit are asked to furnish all necessary information for determining the occupation for which they are best suited. I have no power to compel applicants to answer questions, but any refusal to answer relevant inquiries would obviously lead to the suspension of the claim and its reference to a Court of Referees.
§ Mr. SWANIs it a fact that many of these domestics are required to be reengaged in service at pre-War rates and can we get an assurance that they will not be requested to work more than 24 hours a day?