HC Deb 28 April 1938 vol 335 cc275-6
3. Mr. Roland Robinson

asked the Minister of Labour what steps he is taking to ensure that the vacancies notified to Employment Exchanges for seasonal employment in holiday resorts during the coming season are filled?

Mr. E. Brown

Active steps are taken by the Employment Exchanges, both at holiday resorts and in other districts, to make known the opportunities of seasonal work available and to bring vacancies notified to them to the notice of suitable persons on their registers who have had previous experience of the work or appear to possess the qualifications required. In addition, the instructional centres and the Central Committee on Women's Training and Employment conduct courses of training specially designed to meet the demand for seasonal hotel work. Further details of the action taken last year, which will again be followed during the current season, will be found in the Annual Report of the Ministry for 1937 just published.

Mr. Robinson

Is my right hon. Friend aware that Employment Exchanges were unable to fill a large number of these vacancies last year, and is he taking additional steps to train people to fill suitable vacancies?

Mr. Brown

My hon. Friend knows that there is another side to that question. In all cases where there is a grave shortage of labour the conditions of employment have also to be considered.

Mr. Tomlinson

Do the exchanges notify applicants that in the event of their taking up this employment they will jeopardise their right in the following winter to unemployment benefit?

Mr. Brown

That does not follow at all. It depends on what their employment is in relation to the Anomalies Act. 1931.

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