§ 82. Mr. SHINWELLasked the Minister of Labour the circumstances in which visits are made at the homes of unemployed persons by officers of the Bathgate Exchange; and whether this is done for the purpose of obtaining information in respect of claims or with a view to ascertaining whether the unemployed person is seeking work?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of LABOUR (Mr. Betterton)No, Sir. I could not state the circumstances of these visits otherwise than by saying generally that they are needed for verifying that the conditions for the receipt of benefit are satisfied.
§ Mr. SHINWELLIs the hon. Gentleman aware that many unemployed persons resent these officers putting what they believe to be unnecessary interrogations; and will he not put a stop to or, at all events, modify this objectionable practice?
§ Mr. BETTERTONThe hon. Member is under a misapprehension. It is the duty of these investigators to find out the facts, and quite often these investigations are in the interests of the applicants themselves.
§ Mr. KELLYDoes the Ministry expect people to be at home, when at the same time they require the same people to go round from gate to gate looking for work?
§ Mr. BETTERTONIt is exactly in order to ascertain that they are not at home and that they are looking for work that the inquiries are made.
§ 84. Mr. KELLYasked the Minister of Labour why there is delay amounting to weeks in the payment of unemployment insurance benefit at the Gloucester Exchange; and how many officers at the Gloucester Exchange are engaged in visiting the homes of applicants for benefit to investigate the claims?
§ Mr. BETTERTONI am not aware that there is any general delay in paying unemployment benefit at the Gloucester Exchange, but I shall be glad to have inquiries made into any individual cases if the hon. Member cares to give details. There is one officer engaged on investigation work, which occasionally involves a visit to an applicant's home.
§ Mr. KELLYFor what purpose is this officer detailed for such work, when there is so much other work in the Exchange itself?
§ Mr. STEPHENHave these investigating officers been trained at Scotland Yard?
§ Mr. BETTERTONThe answer to the first supplementary question is the same 1025 as that which I gave a moment ago. In the case which I think the hon. Member for Rochdale (Mr. Kelly) has in mind, and about which he wrote to me, there were very special circumstances which I shall be glad to discuss with him, but which I would rather not state in the House.