§ 65. Mr. LONGDENasked the Minister of Health the names of the public assistance authorities under which outdoor relief is given to able-bodied men without any conditions as to test work; and if he can say whether it is under his order that the Birmingham public assistance committee is about to cause all able-bodied men applying for relief for a longer period than four weeks to do compulsory work for a minimum of four days a week at eight hours a day, with one hour for dinner, irrespective of the amount of relief paid to the applicants?
§ Mr. GREENWOODTest work may have various meanings, but on the widest interpretation there are 32 public assistance authorities who are requiring no form of work as a condition of the grant of relief to able-bodied men. I am sending my hon. Friend a list. In the areas of 15 of these authorities the numbers of able-bodied men are so small or so scattered that a scheme is at present impracticable. In the remaining 17 areas schemes of work or training are in various stages of consideration. As regards the second part of the question, I have urged upon the Birmingham public assistance authority, in the interests of the men, that the hours of work should be uniform and that the period of six weeks during which they had been granted unconditional relief should be reduced to four weeks. I have not in fact suggested the number of hours, but I should not regard 32 hours a week as more than adequate to secure the object of improving or maintaining the man's employability.
§ Mr. LONGDENIs the Minister of Health satisfied that the suggested 28 hours per week as a minimum of work for a single applicant for relief is enough in face of the maximum of about 15s. per week in relief?
§ Mr. GREENWOODIn connection with training schemes the amount of training settles the number of hours, irrespective of the relief.
Viscountess ASTORHas the right hon. Gentleman done away with stone-breaking, which he has said was so brutal? [HON. MEMBERS: "Yes !"] No, he has not.