§ 11. Captain PETER MACDONALDasked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the present financial circumstances of the country, he will consider the advisability of making an investigation into the number of aliens contributing to unemployment insurance and receiving unemployment benefit, respectively?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONThis would be a laborious and expensive investigation, and I do not see what savings could accrue. It could hardly be suggested that aliens should not pay unemployment insurance contributions, and if they pay contributions they must be eligible for insurance benefit. As regards transitional payments, it was decided quite recently that there was no sufficient reason for excluding aliens, the result of which in most cases would be merely to throw the burden upon public assistance.