§ 66. Mr. LANSBURYasked the Minister of Labour how many persons not
| A.—Number of Claims to Unemployment Benefit admitted and under consideration at the Stratford, Hackney and Poplar Employment Exchanges on each Monday of February, 1928. | ||||||||||
| Exchange. | Date. | Men. | Boys. | Women. | Girls. | Total. | ||||
| 1928. | ||||||||||
| Stratford | … | … | 6th February | … | … | 2,088 | 52 | 543 | 28 | 2,711 |
| 13th" | … | … | 2,068 | 46 | 559 | 24 | 2,697 | |||
| 20th" | … | … | 2,062 | 42 | 532 | 18 | 2,654 | |||
| 27th" | … | … | 2,064 | 42 | 525 | 21 | 2,652 | |||
| Hackney | … | … | 6th" | … | … | 3,017 | 56 | 970 | 43 | 4,086 |
| 13th" | … | … | 2,966 | 59 | 1,006 | 43 | 4,074 | |||
| 20th" | … | … | 2,999 | 40 | 915 | 34 | 3,988 | |||
| 27th" | … | … | 2,869 | 60 | 847 | 36 | 3,812 | |||
| Poplar | … | … | 6th" | … | … | 3,040 | 5 | 432 | 33 | 3,510 |
| 13th" | … | … | 3,195 | 1 | 421 | 24 | 3,641 | |||
| 20th" | … | … | 3,181 | 1 | 447 | 32 | 3,661 | |||
| 27th" | … | … | 3,202 | 2 | 431 | 28 | 3,663 |
§ The MINISTER of LABOUR (Sir Arthur Steel Maitland)As the reply includes a number of figures, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the statement:
§ receiving unemployment pay were sent to vacancies notified by the Employment Exchanges at Stratford, Hackney, and Poplar; the number of persons receiving unemployment benefit; and the total number of vacancies notified during the month of February last?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDStatistics are not available of the number of persons actually in receipt of benefit, nor of the number of persons not in receipt of benefit who are sent to vacancies. I am, however, circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT such figures as are available.
§ Following are the figures:
217| B.—Number of Vacancies notified to the Stratford, Hackey and Popular Employment Exchanges during February, 1928. | ||||||||||
| Exchange. | Week ending. | Men. | Boys. | Women. | Girls. | Total. | ||||
| 1928. | ||||||||||
| Stratford | … | … | 6th February | … | … | 22 | 6 | 25> | 24 | 77 |
| 13th" | … | … | 41 | 14 | 25 | 26 | 106 | |||
| 20th" | … | … | 29 | 17 | 26 | 11 | 83 | |||
| 27th" | … | … | 46 | 19 | 41 | 22 | 128 | |||
| Hackney | … | … | 6th" | … | … | 40 | 33 | 80 | 29 | 182 |
| 13th" | … | … | 58 | 83 | 84 | 38 | 263 | |||
| 20th" | … | … | 76 | 49 | 99 | 32 | 256 | |||
| 27th" | … | … | 38 | 39 | 78 | 39 | 194 | |||
| Poplar | … | … | 6th" | … | … | 93 | 28 | 20 | 54 | 195 |
| 13th" | … | … | 59 | 21 | 10 | 33 | 123 | |||
| 20th" | … | … | 134 | 29 | 12 | 29 | 204 | |||
| 27th" | … | … | 32 | 38 | 22 | 19 | 111 |
§ 67. Mr. LANSBURYasked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that at East London Employment Exchanges it is impossible for persons not in receipt of unemployment pay to obtain any chance of securing the opportunity to apply for vacancies notified to the Exchanges; that persons in receipt of Poor Law relief are thus entirely barred from receiving any advantage from the Employment Exchange; whether any verbal or written instructions have been given to officials at the Exchanges that preference is to be given to persons drawing unemployment pay over those whose claims to benefit. have expired; and, if this is the case, what does he propose shall be done for the men and women thus denied all opportunity of finding work?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDThere is no instruction that preference should be given to any person on the ground that he is claiming or in receipt of benefit. The practice in these as in other Exchanges is to submit the applicant who is industrially best qualified to fill the vacancy.
§ Mr. LANSBURYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that in the East End it is absolutely impossible for a man or woman not in receipt of unemployment pay to get an opportunity of applying for one of these vacancies, and will he make special inquiries as to the truth of my statement?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDI will certainly make inquiries and see what there is in it.