§ 41. Major COHENasked the Minister of Labour whether, if a married man is selected for training at one of the Ministry's training centres, his wife receives unemployment benefit during his training?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDMarried men at the Ministry's training centres are, as a rule, in receipt of unemployment benefit (including the allowance in respect of a wife or other dependants) if they are being trained for employment in this country, but not if they are being trained for employment overseas.
§ 42. Major COHENasked the Minister of Labour whether, if an unemployed man and wife are both given training at the only centre in the country where married families can be trained unemployment benefit is withheld; and, if this is so, will he consider giving the organisation which undertakes to support the family whilst training that benefit?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDI understand that the training at the centre referred to is for employment overseas. Accordingly, as I explained in reply to the hon. and gallant Member's previous question, unemployment benefit is not paid to those undergoing this training.
§ Major COHENCan the Minister explain why unemployment benefit should not be paid?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MA1TLANDThe reason is this. When we were training persons for employment in this country, it could be reasonably assumed that a man would later take up insurable work, but we are also training persons for employment overseas, where, normally speaking, they are likely to go out of the field of British insurable work. On the other hand, the situation is being met by giving the 1117 married men who are training for overseas an additional allowance which will take the place of benefit.