§ 11. Sir NICHOLAS GRATTAN-DOYLEasked the Minister of Labour what number of persons in the receipt of unemployment benefit are receiving, respectively, covenanted and uncovenanted benefit?
§ Miss BONDFIELDThe distinction between covenanted and un-covenanted benefit disappeared some years ago. If the hon. Member wishes to have information with regard to transitional benefit, I may say that at 22nd September, 1930, out of a total of 1,967,000 claimants for benefit 342,000 were ascertained to be eligible only for transitional benefit.
10. Lieut.-Colonel Sir FREDERICK HALLasked the Minister of Labour if she is aware that in a number of cases workmen earning an average of £5 or more a week for working two or three days a week on the rota system are paid unemployment benefit in respect of the rest of the week; what was the total unemployment benefit paid during the 12 months ended 30th June, 1930, to men who for the whole year averaged wages of £2 a week or more, although working only two or three days a week; and if it is proposed to continue payment of un employment benefit in cases of this kind?
§ Miss BONDFIELDI regret that the information asked for is not available.
Sir F. HALLHas the right hon. Lady caused inquiry to be made into the veracity or otherwise of the facts referred to in the question? Is it true or not?
§ Miss BONDFIELDIt has been a possibility under the Act.
Sir F. HALLWas it the intention that men earning £4 or £5 a week by working two or three days should receive benefit?
§ Miss BONDFIELDIf the hon. and gallant Gentleman will study the Acts, he will see that, when the Blanesburgh Committee held its sittings, so customary was it to have payment for short time that the question was never considered sufficiently important.
§ Sir KINGSLEY WOODDoes the right hon. Lady propose, having regard to the serious position that is disclosed, to allow this state of affairs to continue?
§ Miss BONDFIELDI propose to have a thorough investigation.
§ 12. Mr. GORDON MACDONALDasked the Minister of Labour the number of persons who have had their claims for unemployment benefit disallowed owing to not satisfying the alternative transitional condition, namely, that they were not normally employed in insurable em- 179 ployment, and that they would not normally seek to obtain their livelihood by means of insurable employment?
§ Miss BONDFIELDDuring the period 13th March to 13th October, 1930, out of 406,833 claims dealt with by Courts of Referees 127,505 were disallowed on the ground that the claimants were not normally insurable and would not normally seek to obtain a livelihood by means of insurable employment.
§ Mr. McSHANEIs the right hon. Lady aware that, whereas this House abolished the not-genuinely-seeking-work Clause, this decision of the umpire has, in fact, brought about the same set of circumstances that existed before?
§ Miss BONDFIELDI cannot accept that statement.
§ Mr. L'ESTRANGE MALONEWill the operation of this transitional provision be one of the subjects to be investigated by the Royal Commission?
§ Miss BONDFIELDUndoubtedly.
§ Mr. McSHANEis the right hon. Lady aware that, in the constituency I represent, men and women are being asked to produce evidence as to whether they have been seeking work, exactly as they did before the abolition of the Clause?
§ 15. Mr. WELLOCKasked the Minister of Labour what is the average amount of benefit now being paid out; and if she can give an estimate of the weekly amount at present being paid to unemployed workers in the cotton industry?
§ Miss BONDFIELDThe average weekly amount of benefit paid during the four weeks ended 18th October was £1,758,000; the average live register during the same period being 2,159,000. Statistics of benefit and contributions are not kept in respect of separate industries. I have already put in hand the preparation of an estimate for various industries, of which cotton is one.