§ 86. Mr. W. THORNEasked the Minister of Labour if he is aware of the hardships being imposed upon men drawing unemployment benefit at Yarmouth by the operation of Regulation S.E. 7,572/2, Boarding, Apartment, and Lodging Houses, under which applicants whose wives let apartments or lodgings are being disallowed dependants' benefit; that the majority of the applicants occupy very small cottages; that the letting season is confined to six weeks in the summer and normally the same period during the fishing season, and the nature and extent of the accommodation which they provide is of such a character as to make it impossible for them to derive more than £1 per week when their apartments are let; 2497 that the people in question have been disallowed benefit for the year; and if he will take action in the matter?
§ Mr. BETTERTONIt is a condition for the receipt of dependants' benefit in respect of a wife that she should not be engaged in an occupation ordinarily carried on for profit. As a rule, where apartments or lodgings are let, the wife must be regarded as engaged in such an occupation, and dependants' benefit would therefore not be payable. But my right hon. Friend would be prepared to consider specially, subject to the advice of the Local Employment Committee, the possibility of allowing dependants' benefit outside the letting season in cases where it can be shown that the amount received for the letting is very small.