§ 3. Mr. LAWSONasked the Minister of Labour the number of additional officers who have been engaged by public assistance committees to carry out their duties in respect to persons on transilional benefit, and the total cost of this administration?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONThe Order-in Council provides that approved additional expenditure of local authorities may be repaid to them upon application. It is not yet possible to state the amount of such expenditure. or the number of the additional staff engaged by authorities.
§ Mr. LAWSONWill the right hon. Gentleman be able to give us those facts later?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONOf course, this question, if I may say so, has been put down much too soon. If the hon. Member will repeat it a little later, when we have had experience, I will, of course, give him all the information I can.
§ Sir H. BETTERTONNo, Sir; I am always very anxious not to give estimates which may be misleading. If, as I have said, the hon. Member will repeat his question later, I shall be able to give him specific figures.
§ Captain LUMLEYIs it a fact that a regulation has been made which says that no application for these additional posts will be considered unless the applicant is in receipt of benefit?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI think I must have notice of that question. I think that that is so, but I should like notice.
§ 4. Mr. LAWSONasked the Minister of Labour the latest estimate of the number of persons on transitional benefit?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONAt 26th October, 1931, there were on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Great Britain, 526,350 persons with claims authorised for transitional benefit.
§ 5. Mr. LAWSONasked the Minister of Labour if he will place in the Library all circulars and instructions to managers of Labour Exchanges and public assistance committees in connection with the administration of transitional benefit?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI will arrange to place in the Library copies of the circulars issued to public assistance authorities on transitional payments, and of the instructions which have been issued to the Employment Exchanges on the same subject.
§ Mr. GEOFFREY PETOWill my right hon. Friend insist upon Employment Exchanges being called by their right name, and not "labour exchanges"? Is he aware that in many parts of the country unemployment pay is called "labour pay"?
§ Mr. LAWSONMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman when these circulars and instructions will be available?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONForthwith; I will see that they are put in the Library at once.
§ 8. Mr. DINGLE FOOTasked the Minister of Labour what instructions have been sent out by the Ministry of Labour to public assistance committees in assessing entitlement to transitional benefits as to disability pensions?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONThe duties of the public assistance committees in connection with the determination of transitional payments are laid down in the Order in Council, and I have no power to issue any instructions to them in this matter. The cases of persons in receipt of disability pensions are specially referred to in the Circular issued by the Minister of Health on 8th October, and in a further circular issued from my Department on 11th November, copies of which I am sending to my hon. Friend.