41 and 42. Captain BALFOURasked the Minister of Labour (1), the number of seasonal workers' claims admitted at Margate and Ramsgate exchanges under the recent amending regulations since the end of the official summer season, and which would have been refused if those amendments were not now in force;
550 (2) the number of disallowances of claims under the seasonal workers orders from the end of the season up to 20th November at the Margate and Ramsgate Employment Exchanges as compared with the same period last year?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of LABOUR (Lieut.-Colonel Muirhead)The number of claims disallowed is compiled for periods of calendar months. During the three months September, October and November, 1935, 195 claims by seasonal workers were disallowed by the Margate and Ramsgate Court of Referees under the Anomalies Order, as compared with 341 in the corresponding period of 1934. No record is kept of the number of claims now allowed which would have been disallowed at earlier periods.
Captain BALFOURIf the Ministry do not keep records of the number of claims now allowed which would have been disallowed under the Anomalies Regulations, how is the House to know the exact effect of those regulations on seasonal workers?
§ Lieut.-Colonel MUIRHEADI could not answer that question off-hand, but the fact remains that, as I have said, no such record is kept.
Captain BALFOURWill my hon. and gallant Friend try to alter the system of statistics, so that the House may be able to get some knowledge of the effect of these regulations?
§ Lieut.-Colonel MUIRHEADWe will certainly bear my hon. and gallant Friend's suggestion in mind.
§ Captain P. MACDONALDIs my hon. and gallant Friend aware that there is still some doubt in the minds of seasonal workers as to the way in which these new regulations are worked?