HC Deb 24 March 1926 vol 193 cc1195-6
24. Mr. T. WILLIAMS

asked the Minister of Labour whether it is on the instructions of his Department that Employment Exchanges send unemployed women from South Yorkshire to districts below London to take up domestic service, and, should any woman refuse to travel such a distance, refuse unemployment pay?

Sir A. STEEL-MAITLAND

In administering the Unemployment Insurance Scheme the Department are bound to offer any available situations in domestic service to claimants for benefit for whom this work is suitable. The Department do not, however, make any special point of sending unemployed women from South Yorkshire to below London, and I cannot find that any such transfer has been made by the Exchanges recently or that benefit has been disallowed on refusal to agree to it.

Mr. WILLIAMS

Is the right hon. Gentleman not aware of the case that I brought to his notice, where a South Yorkshire woman was informed that. unless she went to a domestic position below London, her unemployment pay would be stopped, and does he think that, if there are 22,000 women out of work in London, there is either any common sense or justification in sending women there?

Sir A. STEEL-MAITLAND

I am glad to make inquiries into the particular case mentioned by the hon. Gentleman, but the fact of that number of women being out of work in London does not necessarily prove it or disprove it. Always in these cases I am careful to give instructions that the officials should see whether women who are unemployed are suitable for domestic service, and I gather that that is what hon. Members opposite would wish. It may quite well be that there are women out of employment who are not suitable for domestic service and, therefore, should not be offered it.

Mr. MARDY JONES

Does the right hon. Gentleman not take any precautions to ascertain whether prospective employers, for domestic service in London, of girls from South Yorkshire or anywhere else in Britain are really suitable people? We have reason to believe that at times they are simply decoys.

Sir A. STEEL-MAITLAND

I have already answered questions on that point. to which I would refer the hon. Member.

Mr. T. WILLIAMS

Will the right hon. Gentleman assure us that these long-distance journeys will not be used as an intimidation to women thrown out of work in Yorkshire?

Sir A. STEEL-MAITLAND

There is no intention to do that.