§ 10. Mr. DUCKWORTHasked the Minister of Labour if he can state the circumstances under which the necessary funds for the payment of benefit at the Shrewsbury Employment Exchange on 2nd June were not available and 50 unemployed men did not receive the benefit to which they were entitled until the following week; and whether he will take steps to ensure that the necessary funds are made available in future?
Mr. HUDSONI regret that, owing to an error in calculating the total amount of money that would be required, it was not possible to pay on the 2nd June a small number of men who attended for payment in the evening after having been at work on that day. The position was explained to them, and it was understood that they were all content to wait until the following week for their money. It was made clear that in any case of hardship special arrangements would be made for payment on the 3rd June, but no request for such payment was made.
§ Mr. DUCKWORTHIn view of the undoubted hardship that was inflicted on a certain number of men, may I ask if it would not have been possible for the manager of the exchange to obtain a loan to make the necessary payments?
Mr. HUDSONNo doubt it would Rave been if the men had been coming for payment during the ordinary business hours, but, as they were being specially paid in the evening, because they had been at work the whole day, it was impossible, at the particular hour at which the mistake was found out, to rectify it by the means suggested by my hon. Friend.