§ 89. Mr. GAVAN DUFFYasked the Minister of Labour how many persons in the Millom area of Cumberland who have been in receipt of unemployment benefit are now upon the gap; and how long they have been on the gap?
§ Mr. BETTERTONThe number of persons attending at the Millom Employment Exchange who up to 12th March had exhausted benefit during the fourth special period was 86.
§ The date of exhaustion and the numbers exhausting at these dates are as follow:
| 5th February | 7 |
| 12th " | 2 |
| 26th " | 8 |
| 5th March | 6 |
| 12th " | 63 |
§ Mr. DUFFYIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the district in which Millom is situated has already had its grant reduced by thousands of pounds during the past year, and that consequently the board of guardians is unable to keep these people?
§ Mr. BETTERTONThat supplementary question would appear to raise the question of the gap. We shall be discussing the whole question of gaps this afternoon on the Report stage of the Unemployment Insurance Bill. Perhaps the hon. Member will raise the matter then.