§ 75. Mr. C. ROBERTSasked whether, when a board of guardians, by arrangement with the local authority and under a scheme submitted to the Ministry of Health, employs men on test work, which requires unskilled labour and is of substantial public utility in the area, for the purpose of testing the suitability of applicants for relief, and grants them relief out of rates not exceeding the amount of relief granted to men not undergoing the labour test, such men are entitled to receive unemployment benefit in addition to the relief granted, or whether the Minister of Health declines to sanction such schemes?
§ Sir M. BARLOWThe question whether unemployment benefit is payable in the cases mentioned by the hon. Member depends on the circumstances of each case. The final decision rests with the Umpire, who has laid down certain of the relevant considerations in two recent decisions, of which I am sending a copy to the hon. Member. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Health is prepared, as far as possible, to sanction such schemes so far as payment of outdoor relief is concerned, but his sanction does not apply to the payment of unemployment benefit, which depends on the provisions of the Unemployment Insurance Acts.