§ 9. Mr. Graham Whiteasked the Minister of Labour what arrangements are made between the Unemployment Assistance Board and the public assistance committees to ensure that applicants who cease to be eligible for an allowance under the Board shall receive an appropriate allowance from the latter body without delay?
§ Mr. E. BrownThe responsibility for prompt action upon an application for public assistance rests with the public assistance authority. I am informed by the Unemployment Assistance Board that their officers are always ready to give any available information which may enable the authority to deal quickly with such applications.
§ Mr. WhiteIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that when applicants go to the public assistance committee, they are generally given a food ticket, and it may be To days before they get any allowance, and that they may have difficulty in paying the week's rent?
§ Mr. BrownMy information is that if an inquiry is made about an applicant, 3270 the Board's officers are always willing to deal with it by telephone?
§ 15. Mr. George Hallasked the Minister of Labour the percentage of applicants for allowance under the Unemployment Assistance Board in the Aberdare area who are in receipt of discretionary additions in respect of special circumstances on the latest available date?
§ Mr. BrownSuch information as is available is based upon a 5 per cent. sample of cases current at the beginning of December, 1937. This sample indicates that in the Board's administrative district of Cardiff which includes Aberdare, the percentage of discretionary additions to assessments was about 43 per cent. While such a sample gives reasonably accurate results in relation to a district as a whole, it is not sufficiently large to be used as a basis for separate statistics for individual areas.
§ Mr. BrownI am not sure, but I will look into the matter if the hon. Member attaches importance to it.
§ 16. Mr. Hallasked the Minister of Labour whether he will give a table showing the number of applicants for assistance under the Unemployment Assistance Board in the administrative areas in South Wales whose assistance has been cut off entirely as the result of the liquidation of the standstill arrangement otherwise than on account of personal earnings; and will he give the figures for each area separately?
§ Mr. BrownI regret that separate statistics of "nil" determinations, made solely as the result of the arrangements for the liquidation of the standstill, are not available.