§ 28 Mr. BATEYasked the Minister of Labour (1) if he is aware that three married miners living in the county of Durham were ordered to leave their wives and families and go to work in Nottingham, and because they refused to do so their unemployment benefit was stopped; and if he knows that, owing to the low wages in the mining industry, it 1329 is impossible for a miner to pay for lodgings in one county and keep his wife and family in another; and will he inquire into the matter;
(2) if he is aware that a number of young miners living in the county of Durham, during the first week of their unemployment, were ordered by the Employment Exchange to leave home and go to work in the county of Northumberland; and whether he will inform Employment Exchanges in the county of Durham to cease giving such orders;
(3) if he is aware that a miner, in the county of Durham, whose wife had died and left him with three children, had his unemployed benefit stopped because he refused to leave his children in the county of Durham and go to work at Doncaster, and that the miners' secretary at the colliery at Doncaster says there was no work for the man if he had gone there; and whether this man's unemployed benefit can be paid up?
§ Mr. SHAWI regret I cannot undertake to deal with points of this kind unless particulars sufficient to identify the cases are given. If my hon. Friend will give me the necessary particulars I will look into the cases at once.
§ Mr. BATEYShould not I have an answer to these three cases separately? They have already been before the Minister privately, and we have not been able to get any satisfaction.
§ Mr. SHAWI can only say again, that if these three questions are read it will be noted that there is no name by which I can identify the case or cases. If the names are given me I will make inquiries.
§ Mr. BATEYThe Minister is under a misapprehension. He has had the cases before him privately. In the first case he does not need the name. The point raised is whether a married miner at present can afford to keep a wife and family and pay for lodgings with the present wages in the coal trade.
§ Mr. G. SPENCERHas my right hon. Friend satisfied himself that there are not sufficient men in Nottingham to fill all the positions in the mining industry?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member has put his questions, and the Minister has chosen to answer them together.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI advise the hon. Member to repeat his questions with the details asked for.