§ 5. Colonel CLIFTON BROWNasked the Minister of Labour why no women were appointed to the administrative staff of the Unemployment Assistance Board; and, in view of the recent breakdown and of the suitability of women for this work, whether he will take steps to have an adequate number of women immediately appointed?
Mr. STANLEYI can assure my hon. and gallant Friend that the board have borne in mind the desirability of appointing an appropriae proportion of women staff. As regards the small number of posts in the administrative grades at headquarters, I am informed that before filling them the board carefully considered the qualifications of a number of women candidates; although no women have up to the present been 503 appointed to this grade I may point out that other grades at headquarters and the provincial staff, who have direct dealings with applicants, include a number of women officers, both in higher and lower ranks.
§ Colonel CLIFTON BROWNMay we assume that women will be appointed to these posts in the near future?
Mr. STANLEYYes, Sir. The board will have no hesitation in appointing women if they find one really suitable for the post.
Viscountess ASTORDoes the right hon. Gentleman not think that if they had a woman in the Government they would have less difficulty in finding appropriate women for appropriate places?
Viscountess ASTORDoes the right hon. Gentleman not think that if they had a woman in the Government they would probably make more drastic decisions and stick to their guns more than than do?
§ Mr. HOLFORD KNIGHTIs it not the case that there are a number of very qualified women transferred from other Departments of the State to the service of this board?
§ 7. Mr. GRAHAM WHITEasked the Minister of Labour whether he has any information as to the number of claimants for transitional payments or unemployment allowances in whose assessments savings have been taken into account?
§ 12. Mr. THORNEasked the Minister of Labour whether he intends to issue a White Paper showing the amount of benefit arrears that have been repaid to the various local authorities, and the number of persons affected?
§ 14. Mr. BATEYasked the Minister of Labour the amount of money which has 504 been repaid to the unemployed by the Unemployment Assistance Board?
Mr. STANLEYI propose to publish a statement with regard to each of these matters in the OFFICIAL REPORT as soon as particulars can be compiled.
§ 16. Major HILLSasked the Minister of Labour how many men and how many women, respectively, have been appointed to each of the following grades in the Unemployment Assistance Board, giving the figures separately for men and for women in each grade: assistant secretaries, administrative principals, assistant principals, senior executive, junior executive, higher clerical, regional officers, district officers, assistant district officers, and area officers?
Mr. STANLEYAs the reply involves a statistical statement, I will, with my hon. and gallant Friend's permission, circulate is in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Colonel CLIFTON BROWNWill the right hon. Gentleman look down the list and tell us how many of those 12 classes have the figure "nought" against them?
§ Following is the reply:
| Grade | Numbers on the 20th February, 1935 | |
| Men | Women | |
| Assistant Secretary | 3 | — |
| Administrative Principal | 7 | — |
| Assistant Principal | 4 | — |
| Senior Executive | 3 | — |
| Junior Executive | 4 | 1 |
| Higher Clerical | 16 | 1 |
| Regional Officer | 6 | — |
| District Officer | 25 | 4 |
| Assistant District Officer | 72 | 6 |
| Area Officer | 302 | 23 |
| Totals | 442 | 35 |
§ 17. Mr. GEORGE HALLasked the Minister of Labour the amount of assistance paid to persons coming under the Unemployment Assistance Board for each week of January?
Mr. STANLEYFrom the first appointed day there was a gradual 505 transfer of transitional payment cases to the assistance determinations and no distinction was drawn in the accounts according to whether cases had or had not been so transferred. I regret, therefore, that it is not possible to give separate figures for payments made under unemployment assistance determinations.
§ 33. Mr. SUMMERSBYasked the Minister of Health the average allowances now being given by public assistance committees to special eases under the Unemployment Act of 1934?
§ The MINISTER of HEALTH (Sir Hilton Young)I presume that my hon. Friend has in mind the payments which were made by some public assistance authorities during the interval which elapsed between the Government's announcement that applicants to the Unemployment Assistance Board were to be assessed at the current transitional payment determination, where that was higher than the assessment under the board's regulations, and completion of the necessary arrangements to give effect to that announcement by the board. The amounts paid would differ in each case according to the amount of the individual transitional payment determination and in such circumstances an average would be misleading. It will be appreciated that these payments have now ceased.
§ 15. Mr. MARTINasked the Minister of Labour what the position will be, under the standstill unemployemnt insurance regulations, for those who are employed in occupations such as that of casual dock labourers, whose employment is part-time and often, from the nature of the work, includes overtime?
Mr. STANLEYWhere earnings in respect of part-time or casual work are received by persons in receipt of nemployment allowances, they will be treated according to the rules applicable to transitional payments in ascertaining the amount of the weekly payment, which would be due to the applicant on a transitional payments basis as secured under the standstill arrangements. They will also be examined in the light of the rules contained in the Unemployment Assistance Regulations for the purpose of 506 ascertaining what would be due under a determination given in accordance with those regulations. The applicant will then receive payment on the basis of his transitional payments assessment or his assessment under the regulations according to which is the more favourable to him.
§ Mr. MARTINCan the right hon. Gentleman say briefly whether consideration will be given to men who, from the nature of such work as unloading a ship, have to work overtime so that several hours on a job may encroach on the following day or week?
§ Mr. MARTINMy question, I think, had directly to do with that point, and perhaps the right hon. Gentleman can answer it.
Mr. STANLEYThe hon. Gentleman asked me on what basis they would be assessed, and what I told him, in effect, was that they would be assessed on whatever would be the more favourable basis—either the transitional payment basis or the basis of assistance under the regulations.