§ 1. Mr. BATEYasked the Minister of Labour how many resolutions and letters have been received from miners' lodges in the Seaham division protesting against the means test administered by the commissioners in Durham; and what steps he intends to take to deal with the matter?
§ The MINISTER of LABOUR (Sir Henry Betterton)I have received two protests from miners' lodges in the Sea-ham division about the administration of transitional payments by the commissioners. With regard to the second part of the question, I have nothing to add to the statement which I made on 21st February in the course of the Debate on the Adjournment.
§ Mr. BATEYAs this affects the Prime Minister's division, will the right hon. Gentleman see the Prime Minister and ask him if any resolution has been received?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONYes, Sir.
§ 6. Mr. LAWSONasked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that it is the practice of some public assistance committees, and also appointed commissioners, to include the quarterly reserve pay of ex-soldiers in calculating income, and that such reservists are in fact being deprived of a certain amount of their pay through the consequent reduction of their transitional payments; and what steps he proposes to take to prevent this practice being continued?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for North West Camberwell (Mr. Cassels) on 17th February, of which I am sending him a copy.
§ Mr. LAWSONIs reserve pay not given to a man in order that he may maintain a certain standard of fitness in view of his obligations? If this is taken into calculation, he is not having the benefit of his reserve pay.
§ Sir H. BETTERTONThat is the question that I answered on 17th February.
§ Mr. LAWSONIs the right hon. Baronet aware that in face of his answer, that reserve pay is still being taken into calculation, a man is losing a certain amount of transitional payment and cannot maintain his fitness?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONMy answer was that I have no ground for thinking that, in determining transitional payment, the committees will not have regard to any special expenditure to which applicants may be entitled.
§ 13. Mr. LAWSONasked the Minister of Labour whether the Commissioner for the county of Durham is now prepared to meet accredited representatives of those who are subject to transitional payments when the recipients have difficulties about the amount received; whether he has met any such representatives; and whether he can make a statement explaining the present position?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI understand that the commissioners and their officers are always ready to meet accredited representatives of applicants. A number of meetings between such representatives and the First Commissioner have already taken place.
§ 17. Mr. BATEY (for Mr. EDWARD WILLIAMS)asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that, in adjusting the amount of transitional payment to be paid to a recipient owing to a drop in the family income as a result of a member of the family becoming unemployed, the Durham Commissioners do not make the adjustment retrospective to the effective date; and whether he will represent to the commissioners that where transitional payment to a recipient is to be increased in these circumstances the increase should date from the time of the changed circumstances?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI have no reason to suppose that the commissioners do not make their determinations retrospective, in proper cases, to the extent allowed by the Regulations. Owing to difficulties that were occasionally experienced in various parts of the country, the Regulations have recently been amended so as to permit determinations to be dated back for an additional week. This should be sufficient to meet any case in which the claimant reports a change of circumstances with reasonable promptitude.
§ Mr. BATEYAs the revision takes place each month, is not a week a small period to date back, and ought not the revision to date back to the time of the altered circumstances?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONNo, quite recently, in answer to a question put by the hon. Gentleman or one of his friends, I said I would look into the matter. As a result I have made this Regulation enabling retrospective payment for a further week to be made in proper cases. I think that the Regulation will remove the difficulties to which the hon. Gentleman refers, and in any case before considering the matter further I must first see the working of the Regulation.
19. Mr. PRICEasked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that the commissioners appointed to administer transitional payments, and also public assistance committees, in assessing the 1318 income of a family generally take into account the gross instead of the nett earnings of those members who are in employment; and whether, in view of the fact that in many cases deductions from the gross earnings are substantial, amounting in the mining industry approximately to 3s., he will circularise all commissioners and public assistance committees recommending that only the nett earnings shall be taken into account?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI have no grounds for thinking that in dealing with applications for transitional payments local authorities and commissioners are not fully aware of the powers vested in them to have due regard to expenses necessarily incurred by members of a household in the course of their employment.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSIs not the right hon. Gentleman aware that in the West Riding of Yorkshire the public assistance committee have a scale, and that that scale is calculated whereby gross earnings are taken into consideration as nett income, and does he not see that this is an injustice to part-time workers?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI have not the scale which is in operation in that part of the country at present before me so that I cannot answer the question off-hand.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSIf I send a copy of the scale to the right hon. Gentleman, will he take up the matter with the commissioners or the public assistance committee?
§ Mr. LUNNWill the right hon. Gentleman inquire whether it is the gross earnings or the nett earnings which are taken into account?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI did make some inquiries on the point, and I am told that, speaking broadly, it is the gross earnings less off-takes that are taken into account. That is the answer I received, and I am not in a position to say anything further.
§ Mr. PIKEIs it not a fact that the deduction which is made on the ground of income is precisely the same as before?