§ 24. Mr. HURDasked the Minister of Labour if he has received representations, supported both by miners and mine-owners in the Somerset and other coalfields, urging that the continuity rule under the Unemployment Insurance Acts brings hardship to the miner and inconvenience to the owner in that the best system of short-time working in the mining industry is one day on and one day off; and what steps he proposes to take?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe continuity rule, which cannot be altered without fresh legislation, has occasionally been criticised but no practicable alternative has so far been suggested. In particular, I should mention that I do not think I should be justified in present circumstances in recommending an Amendment of the rule in order to enable benefit to be paid to persons working on alternate days.