HC Deb 09 July 1928 vol 219 cc1837-9
25. Mr. R. YOUNG

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that Mr. William Hazelby was sent to London by the Nantyglo Employment Exchange, was met by officials and conducted to the Brixton Employment Exchange, where a job as sandwich-board carrier was offered him; will he say who pays the expense; what was the cost of such transference; and why this job was not given to an unemployed man in London?

The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of LABOUR (Mr. Betterton)

Mr. Hazelby came to London under the arrangements which were explained in a reply to the hon. Member for Bow and Bromley last week. Pending more permanent employment being found for him he was offered work as a sandwich-board man, which he stated he was willing to try. Employment as a painter's labourer was found for him later in the week, which he was to take up to-day. Mr. Hazelby's fare was £l 0s. 3d., of which he will be liable to repay 126. 2d. by instalments, the balance being paid from the Unemployment Fund. The job of painter's labourer was offered to him under the arrangements to which I have already referred.

Mr. YOUNG

Will the hon. Gentleman say whether this man has lost any benefit, and will he answer the last part of my question?

Mr. BETTERTON

He has lost no benefit at all. When he gave up the job of sandwichman, which he did after a very few hours, he was paid benefit to the end of the week, and he lost no benefit at all. I am not sure whether the hon. Member is referring to the job of painter's labourer or to the job of sandwichman, but, so far as I know, there was no application for the job of sandwichman.

Mr. YOUNG

Is it not a fact that it is not necessary to make application for the job of sandwichman?

Mr. BETTERTON

The job of sandwichman is rather different from other jobs. This man was not deprived of benefit because he did not take it.

Mr. BARKER

Does the Parliamentary Secretary approve of bringing miners 150 miles to carry sandwich boards and then leaving them stranded because they refuse such a degrading occupation? Is this done with the authority of the Minister?

Mr. SPEAKER

It is not a question of the approval or otherwise of the Parliamentary Secretary.

Mr. BARKER

On a point of Order. Am I not allowed to elucidate this point by a supplementary question?

Mr. SPEAKER

Anything bearing on the answer given by the Parliamentary Secretary can be elucidated by a supplementary question, but not matters of opinion.

Mr. MONTAGUE

Will the right hon. Gentleman accept my word that I will find him 200 painters' labourers out of work in London?

Mr. BETTERTON

I will accept the hon. Member's word for anything he cares to tell me, but, even so, in my view and in that of my right hon. Friend, it is only right that unemployed miners congregated in large numbers in congested areas, where there is no work at all, should have an opportunity of having these jobs.

Mr. KELLY

Is this new policy of giving miners jobs in this way the result of the recommendations of the Transference Board?

Mr. BETTERTON

The question of the publication of the Report of the Transference Board is still under consideration, and I must ask the hon. Member to await the decision.

Mr. JOHNSTON

Will the hon. Gentleman be prepared to lay upon the Table or in the Library the instructions which his Department has sent to managers of Employment Exchanges in industrial areas requiring them to take as many as 10 single miners from these starving areas for stated periods of one week?

Mr. BETTERTON

That question is identical in form with one which is down in the name of the hon. Member for Bow and Bromley (Mr. Lansbury) to-morrow, when I will answer it.

Lieut.-Colonel WATTS-MORGAN

Will the hon. Gentleman say why all these miners, who have not had employment for more than a week, have been brought down from the mining areas, and will the number be given in the Report?

Mr. BETTERTON

I must ask the hon. and gallant Member to be good enough to wait until a decision has been arrived at in regard to the publication of the Report.

Captain GARRO-JONES

To what extent is this principle being acted upon that unemployed men outside London should be brought in to fill these jobs, when thousands of men have been unemployed in London for many years?

Mr. BETTERTON

If the hon. and gallant Gentleman means how many men are being placed, roughly speaking, in pusuance of the policy to which I have referred, it was at least 100 last week.

Mr. PALING

In view of the fact that the recommendations of the Transference Board are being put into operation before the publication of the Report, may I ask when we are likely to have it?

Mr. BETTERTON

That is a question which was addressed to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister the other day, and he expects shortly to be able to give an answer. I understand that there is a question on this very point to-day.

Mr. PALING

Is it too much to ask that it should be published, and should it not have been published some time ago in view of the fact that the recommendations have been put into operation?

Mr. BETTERTON

That is the question which I understand is on the Paper to-day.