§ 9 and 11. Mr. LAWSONasked the Minister of Labour (1) the nature of the recent instructions to interviewing officers in respect to the not-normally-insurable condition of the Unemployment Insurance Acts;
(2) if he will make available for Members the recent instruction issued to Employment Exchange managers and interviewing officers in respect to interviews with applicants for transitional payment?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI am placing in the Library a copy of the instruction which was issued last November from headquarters on this subject. It was to the effect that written instructions appropriate to local circumstances should be given to the subordinate staff at each Exchange regarding the classes of case to be referred by them to the local insurance officer for his consideration in deciding whether the claim should be allowed or should be referred to a court of referees for decision. In one or two divisions a model form has been issued to the Exchanges for guidance in the 245 issue of such instructions, subject of course to adaptation to local circumstances in each case. I am placing in the Library a copy of the document so issued in the London and South Eastern Division.
§ Mr. LAWSONIs there anything new in the regulations?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONNo, nothing at all. We have merely carried out what has always been the usual Departmental practice.
§ Mr. THORNEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the assessments for transitional payments are causing a good deal of trouble and irritation, and is he prepared to send out a circular advising all the committees to ignore the first 15s.?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONThat raises an entirely different point, which does not arise out of the question. With regard to the document in question, I have placed a copy in the Library and perhaps the hon. Member will read it.
§ 10. Mr. LAWSONasked the Minister of Labour the latest available number of applicants who have been deprived of benefit or transitional payment under the not-normally-insurable condition of the Unemployment Insurance Acts since the end of July, 1931?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONBetween 11th August, 1931, and 31st March) 1933, 253,341 claims were disallowed by courts of referees in Great Britain on the ground that the applicants had not proved that they were normally insurable and would normally seek to obtain a livelihood by means of insurable employment. This figure relates to claims; the number of separate individuals concerned is not available.
§ Mr. LAWSONAre not most of these cases of men who have been unemployed quite a long time?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI cannot answer so general a question without notice. I am not sure whether I can answer with notice, but, if the hon. Member puts it down, I will give him the best answer that I can.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSHow many public assistance committees have been threatened with supercession unless they increase the number of disallowances?
§ Mr. LAWSONIs it not most likely that these are cases that have gone to the Poor Law because they have been idle for a long time?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONThat may or may not be so. If the hon. Gentleman will put down a question stating specifically the information he wants, I will endeavour to give it, but I should not like to draw inferences unless I were sure they were likely to be right.