§ 33. Mr. MCKINLAYasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his attention has been drawn to cases where the county council of Stirlingshire employ men on State-aided relief works, and at the end of the first week withhold the wages they have earned as payment or part payment of arrears of rates; and, seeing that some of these men with wives and families are ineligible either for Poor Law relief or unemployment benefit, owing to their being employed during the week, will he when approving any such State-aided schemes insert conditions prohibiting this method of rate-recovery in order to mitigate the hardship caused?
§ Mr. JOHNSTONThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The question of the conditions of State-aided unemployment relief schemes is not one that is within my province, but from inquiries I have made, I understand that arrangements have been made whereby a recurrence of the state of affairs indicated in the question will be prevented in the future so far as Stirlingshire county rates are concerned.
§ Mr. MCKINLAYDoes this apply only to county rates and not to burgh rates?
§ Mr. JOHNSTONThe whole matter is to be further explored, but the basis of this question was arrestment for county rates, but we have that assurance.