13. Miss WARDasked the Minister of Labour how many applications during the last two years for benefit made by married women under the Anomalies Act allowed by the courts of referees have been subsequently dismissed by the umpires on the application of the insurance officers; and whether he will express the figures in bulk and in percentages and to relate to the country as a whole and Willington Quay in particular?
§ Mr. E. BROWNDuring the two years 1934 and 1935 there was 359 claims allowed by courts of referees in Great Britain which were disallowed by the umpire under the Anomalies Regulation relating to married women, on appeals by insurance officers. This figure represents about 1 per cent. of the total number of allowances by courts of referees of claims referred to them under this Regulation, and about 73 per cent. of the number of appeals by insurance officers against such allowances. Corresponding figures for Willington Quay are not available.
§ Mr. BROWNI doubt whether that could be done without a good deal of labour, because the statistics are compiled district by district.
Miss WARDIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that if you cannot get the figures for one area you are not in a position to be able to say whether one area is functioning satisfactorily in relation to the whole of the country? Will my right hon. Friend consider whether it would not be better to get all the figures, so as to be able to come to some definite conclusion?
§ Mr. BROWNI cannot agree with the conclusion drawn by my hon. Friend. I will look into the matter to see whether it is possible to do what she asks, but she will understand that when a practice has been followed for a very long time such a variation may involve a great deal of labour.