§ 56 and 57. Mr. LANSBURY (for Mr. CECIL WILSON)asked the Minister of Labour (1) whether he is aware that W. Waddell, 87, Newhall Road, Sheffield, aged 38, had never, up to 31st December, 1921, been out of employment; that since that time he has only had odd jobs of short duration, in spite of his having gone to considerable distances from Sheffield in search of employment; that ho has visited local firms three or four times a week: that he has been refused employment at the Tyler Street and Petre Street munition huts on the ground that he is not an ex-service man; that he has repeatedly enquired for work at the Employment Exchange without success; and! whether, as this man is a steelworks labourer and, in view of the latter part of L.E.C. 82/2, genuinely seeking but unable to obtain whole-time employment, page 13, paragraph 8, and the great depression in the steel trade, he will reconsider this case;
(2) whether he is aware that the number of men employed in the iron and steel trade in the Sheffield and Rotherham districts is not materially different from what it has been during the last three or four years, that preference for employment is given to younger men, and that E. H. Wigfall, 19, Carlton Road, age 56, and R. Day, 169, Main Road, age 2255 46. with five children under 14 years of age, have been refused benefit on the ground that they have not been in insurable employment during the last two years; and whether, seeing that continuous visits to the Labour Exchange and to many firms have not enabled them to secure employment, he will have these cases reconsidered?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDI am having enquiries made into this case and into those referred to in Question No. 57, and will let the hon. Member know the result in due course.