§ 10. Mr. T. WILLIAMSasked the Minister of Labour if he will state the number of initial applications and review
| Determinations on applications for transitional payments submitted to the Rother Valley and Don Valley Public Assistance authorities. | ||||||||
| — | Initial Applications. | Renewals and Revisions. | ||||||
| Men. | Women. | Men. | Women. | |||||
| *25.1.32 to 4.6.32. | 6.2.33 to 3.6.33. | *25.1.32 to 4.6.32. | 6.2.33 to 3.6.33. | *25.1.32 to 4.6.32. | 6.2.33 to 4.6.32. | *25.1.32 to 4.6.32. | 6.2.33 to 3.6.33. | |
| Rother Valley. | ||||||||
| Total Determination | 1,305 | 974 | 54 | 31 | 11,801 | 8,157 | 213 | 73 |
| Allowed at less than maximum benefit rates | 58 | 279 | 10 | 11 | 1,207 | 2,847 | 80 | 30 |
| Needs of applicants held not to justify payments | 34 | 161 | 7 | 9 | 92 | 682 | 14 | 20 |
| Don Valley. | ||||||||
| Total Determinations | 2,439 | 1,677 | 124 | 85 | 15,514 | 12,764 | 567 | 231 |
| Allowed at les than maximum benefit rates. | 316 | 355 | 19 | 17 | 3,350 | 3,664 | 129 | 60 |
| Needs of applicants held not to justify | 78 | 171 | 6 | 21 | 76 | 825 | 14 | 52 |
| *Separate particulars of the determinations on initial applications and on renewals and revisions are available only from 25th January, 1932. |
§ 11. Mr. T. WILLIAMSasked the Minister of Labour the present position in the West Riding (Yorks) with regard to the administration of transitional payments; whether the full committee are serving; and, if not, will he state which section, if any, has declined to administer the present scales?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONThe matters to which the hon. Member refers are within the province of the local authority. I have no reason to believe that the necessary arrangements for the administration of transitional payments are not being made.
§ cases for transitional payments in the Rother Valley and the Don Valley districts for the first half of 1932 and the same period in 1933, respectively; the number who received less than the full payment; and the number whose circumstances warranted no payment at all?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONAs the reply includes a table of figures, I will, if I may, circulate a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the statement:
§ Mr. WILLIAMSIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that one section of the public assistance committee in the West Riding area is refusing to administer the scales which he has superimposed upon them? May I ask whether, as the right hon. Gentleman takes steps to suppress public assistance committees where he thinks they may be too generous, he will pay the same sort of attention to public assistance committees whose scale is an atrocity?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI have no official information with regard to the guardians committees, which are responsible to the 1225 main committee and not to me. As far as I know the main committee is carrying out its duties according to law. I have no information whether the guardians committees contemplate throwing in their hand, or have actually done so.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the public assistance committee is carrying out its duties according to the law as interpreted by the right hon. Gentleman and the Minister of Health, and, as it is inflicting great hardship on all sorts of people, will he now examine the result of its work?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI have no reason to believe that the statement made by the hon. Member can be substantiated in any way.
§ 14. Mr. MACLEANasked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that where an unemployed man on the means test finds employment for a week or two the wages he earns for this period are taken into account and his transitional payments are reduced by the amount his wages have exceeded his transitional payments; and whether, as this tends to discourage men from finding employment, he will take steps to alter this practice, so that the employed man and his family can enjoy the full amount of the wages earned?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI have no knowledge of the cases which the hon. Member may have in mind, but I have no reason to believe that authorities do not Lilly appreciate the importance of not discouraging men from finding employment. I would point out that the matter is one within the discretion of the local authorities and not one in which I have any power to issue instructions.
§ Mr. MACLEANAre we to take it that action such as is described in the question is not being taken upon the instructions of the right hon. Gentleman's Department, but really upon the initiative of the particular public assistance committee which is operating the transitional payment?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI have no authority whatever to give directions to local authorities.
§ Mr. BUCHANANIf the Glasgow Town Council does not carry out this 1226 practice will not the Minister interfere with them in any way? Will he allow the corporation to do what they like in this matter without interference?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONThat is the same thing over again. I have no authority over local authorities and no power to interfere.
§ Mr. MACLEANAre we to take it that if a local public assistance committee recognise the right of individuals, when they have obtained employment, to enjoy the full earnings that they receive, the Minister will not interfere and insist upon this practice being discontinued?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI would like to see that question on the Paper so that I may know exactly what the hon. Member means. What I have told him is accurate. I have no power to give directions. If the hon. Member wishes further expression of opinion, I shall be glad if he will put a question down.