HC Deb 17 November 1926 vol 199 cc1838-40
28. Sir F. HALL

asked the Minister of Labour whether, having regard to the evidence disclosed in the Report of the Ministry for 1925 as to a widespread abuse of the Unemployment Fund, it is proposed to take steps to make it more difficult for undeserving persons to receive benefits from the fund; and whether, as the evidence shows that the payment is used to a large extent to provide funds for betting, drinking, and entertainment instead of for food, clothing, and house rent, he will consider whether it would be possible to arrange for some part of the benefit in suitable cases to take the form of food and clothes vouchers instead of money?

Mr. BATEY

On a point of Order. May I ask whether this question is in Order? It is full of innuendoes and it is a brutal libel on better men than the man who is asking the question.

Mr. SPEAKER

I must confess that I have not myself read the Report on which the hon. and gallant Member bases his question. I take it that he is not going beyond what is stated in the Report? He ought not to do so.

Mr. BETTERTON

I must dissent entirely from the suggestion that there is widespread abuse of the Unemployment Fund. I am satisfied that the steps taken to safeguard the Fund against improper claims are in general effective. Payment of benefit by means of vouchers would require legislation. It is one of the points on which it is open to Lord Blanesburgh's Committee now sitting to make a recommendation. At present I do not think I ought to say more than that proposals of this kind have been examined departmentally from time to time and have been found to present a good many difficulties and to be open to the possibility of serious abuse.

Mr. THURTLE

On a point of Order. Has not the reply of the Minister borne out the point of Order of my hon. Friend, that this question is an abuse of the Rules governing questions?

Mr. SPEAKER

The reply has shown me that if my attention had been a little more close I would have struck out the word "widespread" in the question.

Sir F. HALL

Is it not a fact that the reply bears out the point raised in the question, although perhaps I should not have used the word "widespread"?

Mr. RICHARDSON

Was not the word "widespread" deliberately put into the question?

Mr. BETTERTON

The page of the Report to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers is page 72, which shows that the number of persons prosecuted last year was 2,034 out of a total of something like 3,000,000 claims, or less than .07 per cent.

Mr. SPEAKER

A great deal of my time is occupied in taking adjectives out of hon. Members' questions. This one escaped me. It shows the value of our rule that hon. Members must not introduce their own adjectives on the Paper at Question Time.