§ 34. Colonel BALDWIN-WEBBasked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been drawn to the unusual circumstances which prevail in respect of the claims to benefit of certain insured workers who have recently been employed in the Wrekin area in Shropshire who, during the season, work at the beet factory and who, during the remainder of the year, seek such other industrial work as may be available; and whether he is in a position to make a statement upon the matter?
§ The MINISTER of LABOUR (Mr. Oliver Stanley)I am aware that certain workers in beet factories are found to be seasonal workers within the meaning of the seasonal workers regulation. The question of the working of this regulation will be considered by the Unemployment Insurance Statutory Committee as soon as it is practicable for them to do so.
§ Colonel BALDWIN-WEBBWill my right hon. Friend assure the House that immediate steps will be taken to ensure that these men are not worse off than those men who have not taken this kind of work?
§ Mr. BUCHANANIs the right hon. Gentleman aware of the severe penalty placed upon this kind of workman and of the urgency of the matter? Will he take steps to see, in regard to these persons whose only resource is the Poor Law—not even transitional benefit—that somethoing will be done to relieve these and similar kinds of cases.
§ Mr. STANLEYAs the hon. Member knows, there is a statutory obligation on me under the 1934 Act to obtain the 1725 advice of the statutory committee when any Amendment is made in the regulations, and I am adopting this particular method of getting their advice.
§ Mr. BUCHANANIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that a committee was set up under the Anomalies Act which deprived these people of help and has he not the power at least to try to see whether he cannot now so ease the position as to allow these poor people some way of benefiting?
§ Mr. STANLEYI will certainly consider any possibility included in my statutory power, but before there is any amendment of the regulations those Amendments have to be submitted to this advisory committee.
§ Colonel BALDWIN-WEBBMay I ask my right hon. Friend whether, in his discretion, he cannot make arrangements whereby the men who do this work and have done this work are not in a worse position than those men who have not done this work but are otherwise in similar circumstances?
§ Mr. STANLEYMy hon. Friend knows that I have no discretion in the interpretation of these regulations, but, as I have said, I have taken the earliest practical step to have any anomalies created by the regulations inquired into, and, if necessary, remedied.