§ 32. Mr. BUCHANANasked the Minister of Labour if he is aware of complaints being made that a. large number of persons are now being disqualified in Glasgow for not having a reasonable period of work during the past two years; if such refusal is authorised by any circular or letter issued either from his Department in London or Edinburgh, and, if so, will he state the nature of same; and if this circular or letter is applying in particular to the Glasgow Exchange?
§ Mr. BETTERTONRepresentations with regard to these disallowances were made recently to the Divisional Controller by the Glasgow Trades and Labour Council. As the hon. Member is doubtless aware, this ground of disallowance is a statutory one. Explanatory directions are contained in L.E.C. Memoranda with which, I think, the hon. Member is familiar. No special instructions have been issued for Glasgow as to the considerations to be applied in determining these cases. I may mention, however, that as a result of a recent scrutiny of claims with large debit balances in Scotland generally, a certain number of cases were referred to Committees and disallowed by them.
§ Mr. BUCHANANIs the hon. Gentleman aware that at certain employment, exchanges in Glasgow procedure is being taken which is not uniform throughout the whole of the Glasgow area, and will he state why there is a difference between exchange and exchange?
§ Mr. BETTERTONNo, I was not aware of that, and if the hon. Gentleman will come and see me, or give me particulars, I will go into the matter.
§ 33. Mr. BUCHANANasked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that an inspector called at the Finnestoun Employment Exchange, Glasgow, and examined the papers of certain persons who had been passed for benefit by rota committees; that he afterwards decided to call the applicants before him and in certain cases stopped the decision of the rota committee from taking effect, and sent the cases back to he reheard; and that the committee again granted payment, but that benefit is not yet paid, and during interviews the inspector treated the applicants for benefit inconsiderately; if he has made inquiry; and what is the result of the same?
§ Mr. BETTERTONI have made inquiry, and find that the usual periodical test of extended benefit claims was recently made at this exchange. What took place was substantially as stated in the question, except that I am assured that no claimant was treated inconsiderately.
§ Mr. BUCHANANWill the hon. Gentleman make inquiries into the conditions in which an inspector has a right to stop payment at least on two occasions when the rota committee have decided to allow it? What statutory right has an inspector to over-rule a rota committee?
§ Mr. BETTERTONThe statutory right is the right in the Act of 1924, which imposes on the Minister himself the ultimate decision whether or not a case for extended benefit is to be allowed.
§ Mr. CONNOLLYOn account of the widespread interest in this matter, will the hon. Gentleman say what takes place after a committee twice allows benefit, and the area officer turns it down?
§ Mr. BUCHANANCan I give notice that I intend to raise this question on the first opportunity on the Adjournment?
§ Mr. CONNOLLYI would like an answer to my question.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI would like to see the hon. Member's question in writing, because it does not deal with this specific case. It is evidently a general question.