1. Mrs. SHAWasked the Minister of Labour if it is intended that the Unemployment Insurance Statutory Committee shall differentiate in the payment of benefit to non-insured dependent children and insured dependent children who have left school?
§ The MINISTER of LABOUR (Sir Henry Betterton)The Unemployment Bill does not make any distinction as regards the payment of dependents benefit between insured and uninsured children between the ages of 14 and 16 who have left school. It will be open to the Statutory Committee, however, when dealing with questions of surpluses or deficiencies in the fund, to recommend any amendment as regards dependants benefit which they consider desirable.
Mrs. SHAWIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the social services available to dependent children from infancy to school-leaving age place them in a much more favourable position than that of the newly-insured dependent children who will pay contributions, and will the Minister take that into consideration in determining the amount of benefit to be paid to those dependent children?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONNo doubt all those considerations will be taken into account by the Statutory Committee in making any recommendations which seem to them desirable.