§ 4. Mr. Gallacherasked the Minister of Labour whether he will inquire into the growing practice among Unemployment Assistance Board officers of making deductions on account of the wages of sons and daughters who have left home and can no longer be considered as members of the household within the meaning of the Act; and whether he will draw the attention of all such officers to the undesirability of this practice?
§ Mr. E. BrownCases of this type are exceptional, and the Board inform me that they have no evidence that their number is increasing. As the hon. Member is aware, it is open to an aggrieved applicant to exercise his right of appeal under the Act if in any instance the facts on which the officer has proceeded are in doubt or dispute.
§ Mr. GallacherIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that this practice is going on, that young men and young women who are living quite a distance away from home and who have to maintain themselves are being pursued by officials and being forced to take on a responsibility which should not be theirs?
§ Mr. BrownThese are quite exceptional cases and are such as happen occasionally under the ordinary Poor Law.
§ Mr. LawsonIs it the practice to take into calculation moneys earned by sons and daughters?
§ Mr. BrownThese are cases, which have have been debated in the House, where there is ground for believing that there is collusive action.
§ Mr. LawsonBy what right under the law does this practice continue?
§ Mr. BrownIt is a legal practice. [HON. MEMBERS: "NO."] Then there is a difference of opinion. I am asked for my view, and I am giving it. It is a legal practice, and, as a matter of fact, though very exceptional, such cases happen under the ordinary Poor Law.
§ Mr. SpeakerWe cannot have a Debate on this question.
§ Mr. LawsonOn a point of Order. This touches a very important point in the administration of unemployment allowances. May I ask whether it is not permissible to ask the Minister under what Section of the Act the Government representatives are acting in this matter?
§ Mr. Gallacherrose——
§ Mr. SpeakerIf we treat every question in this manner, we shall have to consider some other method of dealing with Questions.
§ Mr. GallacherI beg to give notice that, in view of the unsatisfactory nature of the Minister's answer, I will raise this question on the Motion for the Adjournment.
§ 15. Mr. A. Jenkinsasked the Minister of Labour the number of applications for assistance received by the Unemployment Assistance Board at Blaenavon, Pontypool and Pontnewydd from persons in receipt of unemployment benefit during the months of November, December and January last, and the number of applications granted?
§ Mr. BrownIn the board's administrative area of Pontypool, which includes Blaenavon and Pontnewydd, the number of applications for unemployment allowances in supplementation of payments of unemployment benefit during the months of November, December and January last was 114, in 86 of which an allowance was authorised.
§ 16. Mr. Jenkinsasked the Minister of Labour the number of applications for additional assistance made at Blaenavon, 2038 Pontypool, and Pontnewydd under the Circular issued by the Unemployment Assistance Board, and the number of applications granted?
§ Mr. BrownI assume that the hon. Member refers to the Circular regarding special consideration in view of the rise in price of some commodities and the coming of the winter months. In the Board's administrative area of Pontypool which includes Blaenavon and Pontnewydd, there were on 17th January, 2,354 additions to current assessments on account of the special circumstances dealt with in the Board's Circular. This figure excludes cases in which the assessment already contained an equal or greater addition under the stand-still arrangements. As regards applications, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Llanelly (Mr. J. Griffiths) on 18th November last.
§ 18 and 19. Mr. Gallacherasked the Minister of Labour (1) whether he will inquire into the reason why assistance was refused by the Arbroath Unemployment Assistance Board to Robert Doyle, of 45, John Street, Arbroath, on 29th January, 1938, when the latter had returned from five days at sea as member of a fishing crew, but was unable to draw any wages owing to the non-success of the fishing; whether he is aware that the child of Robert Doyle was ill and receiving medical attention and that there was no food in the house; and that the applicant, a fully-insured fisherman, was compelled to go to the public assistance committee for immediate aid;
(2) whether he will inquire into the circumstances in which Archibald Smith, of 50, Marketgate, Arbroath, was refused assistance by the Arbroath Unemployment Assistance Board, on 29th January, 1938, when the latter had returned from five days at sea but had drawn no wages owing to the non-success of the fishing; whether he is aware that Mrs. Smith was within a few days of confinement, and that even on 31st January, 1938, assistance was refused again; and whether he will take steps to ensure that the emergency needs of fishermen are promptly attended to?
§ Mr. BrownI am having inquiry made in each of these cases, and will communicate with the hon. Member as soon as possible.
§ Mr. GallacherIn view of the very harsh treatment of the officials in the north of Scotland, will the right hon. Gentleman give his most careful attention to it?
§ 21. Mr. Mainwaringasked the Minister of Labour whether the procedure adopted in the Rhondda area whereby, when claims for extra nourishment allowances are made, the invalids are requested to travel many miles for the purpose of being examined by the regional medical officer is to become general; why this change of procedure was decided upon; and whether there is any reason to be dissatisfied with the views expressed by the claimants' own medical advisers?
§ Mr. BrownI am informed by the Board that the arrangements under which certain cases are referred to regional medical officers have been operative without alteration since 1935. The procedure is used in exceptional cases only and if the hon. Member will furnish particulars of any case in which he thinks hardship may have been caused, the Board will be prepared to make full inquiry into it.
§ Mr. MainwaringDoes the Minister intend the House to understand that the procedure referred to in the question has been in operation since 1935?
§ Mr. MainwaringWill the right hon. Gentleman accept it from me that these are the first instances in the whole of the South Wales area?
§ Mr. BrownI should doubt that, but if the hon. Member thinks that is so, I will make another inquiry and inform the House.
§ 22. Mr. Pearsonasked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that two claimants for unemployment assistance at the Pontyclun area office having earned 25s. 11d. and 25s. 8d., respectively, upon intermittent work were granted allowances of 1d. and 4d., respectively; and will he inquire as to the reasons for these decisions?
§ 31. Mr. Thorneasked the Minister of Labour whether he can now give any information in connection with a girl's bonus of 24s. paid to her by Messrs. Zan, Limited, of Wheelock, Sandbach, for good work in the past year, which led to her father's unemployment pay being reduced by 5s. a week for four weeks; whether he has received any information from the chief officer of the Unemployment Assistance Board at Crewe about the matter; whether the girls' bonus was assessed as part of the family income; and what he intends doing about the case?
§ Mr. E. BrownIt is the normal practice of the board to allow such a bonus in full for the personal requirements of the recipient. In the case cited the bonus was not immediately identified as such, with the result that it was included in the calculation of the average wages of the daughter. As soon as the attention of the area officer was drawn to the fact that the payment of 24s. was a bonus payment he reassessed the father's allowance and restored the deduction of 4s. which had been made. Only one payment took place under the reduced assessment, and the shortage of 4s. for that week, due to the inclusion of the bonus in the calculation of the daughter's average wages, was made up in the course of the following week.
§ Mr. ThorneCan the Minister say why the officer did not know about this regulation?