1. Captain CROOKSHANKasked the Minister of Labour what payments have been made from national funds towards the salaries, allowances and expenses of the various commissioners who have replaced public assistance committees; and under what statutory authority such payments have been made?
§ The MINISTER of LABOUR (Sir Henry Betterton)The payments made out of moneys provided by Parliament up to 31st January, 1933, in respect of the remuneration and expenses of the Commissioners who have been appointed to replace public assistance committees for the purpose of determining the needs of applicants for transitional payments 518 amounted to approximately £10,000. This sum includes the cost of the investigating staff and other staff employed by the Commissioners. The payments are made under the authority of Article 7 of the Unemployment Insurance (National Economy) (No. 2) Order, 1931.
Captain CROOKSHANKIs my right hon. Friend satisfied that that authority is good in law, because the Orders in Council had to be passed within a month in order to deal with existing, not future, circumstances?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONYes, I have satisfied myself that I was acting within my legal rights.
§ 36. Mr. T. WILLIAMSasked the Minister of Labour the name of the Commissioner appointed to administer transitional payments in Rotherham, and the amount of his salary?
§ Sir H, BETTERTONThe Commissioner for Transitional Payments is Mr. A. W. Basham, O.B.E. With regard to the second part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Plaistow (Mr. Thorne) on the 25th October, 1932.
§ Mr. McGOVERNHas there been any reduction in the figures of unemployed in the horticultural industry in the last 24 hours?