HC Deb 02 December 1925 vol 188 cc2200-3
19. Mr. SCURR

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons who have been refused benefit this year in the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney on the ground of not genuinely seeking employment?

The MINISTER of LABOUR (Sir Arthur Steel-Maitland)

During the period 13th January to 12th October, 1925, 636 applications for extended benefit were rejected by the Stepney Local Employment Committee on the ground that the applicants were not making reasonable efforts to secure whole-time employment. Particulars are not available of the number of applications for standard benefit which were rejected on the ground that the applicants were not genuinely seeking employment.

Mr. LANSBURY

Are any of the women who apply for ordinary benefit "knocked off" or refused benefit on the ground that they are not likely to get insurable employment?

Sir A. STEEL-MAITLAND

I am not quite sure what the hon. Gentleman means by "ordinary benefit."

Mr. LANSBURY

Standard benefit.

Sir A. STEEL-MAITLAND

I cannot tell. Certainly none of them are "knocked off" under discretion, but it the hon. Member wishes to ask how many women are refused benefit on one of the statutory conditions, and puts down a question to that effect, I will try to get him the information.

Mr. BECKETT

Can the right hon. Gentleman give us a definition of "genuinely seeking employment"?

Sir A. STEEL-MAITLAND

It is what the local committee, in the case of ex tended benefit, think is genuine.

Mr. MACKINDER

In view of the various methods of various committees in applying this rule, would it not be as well for the hon. Gentleman to send out an instruction as he does in other cases?

Sir A. STEEL-MAITLAND

I always do my best to let each local committee know the practice of the others, so that, as far as possible, they may approximate in their standards. On the other hand, this is one of those matters in which you cannot possibly venture to lay down a perfectly definite standard of what constitutes genuineness. It is a matter of local circumstances, and the people on the spot are likely to know best.

Mr. BECKETT

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that every Member of this House when he goes to his constituency is besieged with people wanting to know what they have to do to comply with this condition?

34. Mr. RENNIE SMITH

asked the Minister of Labour how many applicants for extended benefit at the Exchanges of Penis tone and Stocksbridge there were during the past three months; how many have been refused; and the corresponding figures for one year ago?

Sir A. STEEL-MAITLAND

Separate statistics of applications for extended benefit at these local offices are not available, as the applications are dealt with and included in the statistics relating to the work of the local employment committees at Barnsley and Sheffield respectively.

36. Mr. BUCHANAN

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons who have applied for extended benefit during the past eight weeks in Glasgow and the number who have been refused as not having a reasonable period of employment during the past two years?

Sir A, STEEL-MAITLAND

During the period 15th September-16th November, 1925, 41,671 applications for extended benefit were considered by the local employment committees in the Glasgow area, and of these 2,534 were rejected on the ground of not having a reasonable period of insurable employment in the previous two years.

Mr. BUCHANAN

Can the right hon. Gentleman state that those men are not looking for work, even though they have not been employed during the last two years, and should not the Statute with regard to genuinely seeking work cover these cases?

Sir A. STEEL-MAITLAND

I have not the least doubt that the question of how far they could or could not have got work and that of genuinely seeking work were considered by the rota committee.

Mr. BUCHANAN

Why, if these men cannot be disallowed under the Section in regard to genuinely seeking work, are they disqualified for not having been employed during the past two years?

Sir A. STEEL-MAITLAND

I have no doubt that there is more than one ground, in certain cases, on which a claim might be disallowed. It is really a matter for the rota committee, in cases like that, to decide.

Mr. BUCHANAN

Might I press this point? Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the practice of the rota committee is to examine the question with regard to genuinely seeking work first, and if they cannot disqualify on that ground, they then take the two years during which those 2,000 men have established that they have been genuinely seeking work, and disqualify them for not having been in employment for the past two years? Is it fair?

Sir A. STEEL-MAITLAND

I submit that, as between two grounds for disallowance, the question whether it should take place under one or under the other, and the way in which the rota committee should exercise its powers, do not arise out of the simple question which the hon. Member put to me on the Paper, but, if he will put a further question about it, I shall be glad to go into it. It does not arise out of this question, and I should have to go into it and consider it.

37. Mr. BUCHANAN

asked the Minister of Labour the number of applicants for benefit in Glasgow who have been refused same during the past eight weeks by the insurance officer after the benefit had been granted by the rota committee?

Sir A. STEEL-MAITLAND

The recommendations of local employment committees are reviewed departmentally and not by the insurance officer. Between 15th September and 16th November last 10 cases in the Glasgow area allowed by a committee were disallowed department-ally, and one case was allowed depart-mentally after having been disallowed by a committee.