HC Deb 30 June 1938 vol 337 cc2091-3
6. Mr. James Griffiths

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware of the hardship caused by the regulations of the Unemployment Assistance Board in the cases of applicants who resume work in employment where it is the practice to retain a week's wages in hand and in which cases the Board take the earnings as available resources in the current week and deprive these men of allowances, so that they have neither wages nor allowances; and will he take steps to review the position with a view to mitigating this hardship?

Mr. E. Brown

The Board have no power to make a determination for a person in full-time employment. If, however the person is already in receipt of an allowance when obtaining full-time work and determination normally remains in force during the first week of employment at least. During this period where hardship might otherwise occur because payment of wages is deferred, the Board's officers have power to adjust the allowance as may be necessary by increasing the proportion of the earnings allowed for personal requirements. My information is that it has been generally found possible by the exercise of such discretion to obviate hardship, except in cases that lie outside the Board's legal powers.

Mr. Griffiths

Is the Minister aware that in certain cases which came to my notice recently, men on the Saturday before a holiday found themselves without wages or allowances; and will be give serious consideration to changing the regulations so as to deal with those cases?

Mr. Brown

I always give serious consideration to points put up by Members in this House, but the hon. Member knows as well as I do—speaking in advance of the case which he is sending me —that the difficulty here lies not in the law or with the Board, but in the industrial arrangements between the two sides.

10. Mr. Daggar

asked the Minister of Labour whether he has considered a communication from the Nantyglo and Blaina Trades and Labour Council; and whether the Unemployment Assistance Board, in view of the importance attached to their regulations, which provide for the exercise of discretionary powers by the local area officer, will ascertain if such powers are exercised by the officer in charge at their office in Nantyglo, Monmouthshire?

Mr. Brown

Yes, Sir. With regard to the second part of the question, I am informed by the Unemployment Assistance Board that they have no reason to suppose that the area officer at Nantyglo, Brynmawr, does not exercise his discretion in a proper manner.

11. Mr. Robert Gibson

asked the Minister of Labour what instructions have been issued to area officers with regard to reduction of allowances where unemployed persons have received payment for holidays for periods of employment prior to the commencement of their last period of employment?

Mr. Brown

I presume the hon. Member refers to applicants for Unemployment Assistance who receive holiday pay in respect of a previous period of employment. The Board inform me that such holiday payments will in general be treated as earnings and their officers are dealing on this basis with individual cases as they arise.

Mr. Gibson

Is the Minister aware that the Greenock Trades Holiday started on Tuesday of this week and that there is great resentment among those who are drawing unemployment benefit, at the holiday pay being taken into account as a result of which they have lost several days' benefit? I have here the signatures of 1,218 such men, with their addresses.

20. Mr. J. J. Davidson

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of persons who have suffered reductions in unemployed allowances since the operation of the Unemployment Assistance Board in Glasgow; and the total amount of reductions up to date, giving separate figures for the Maryhill division?

Mr. Brown

I regret that information precisely in the form desired by the hon. Member is not available, but in the Board's administrative district of Glasgow r and in the Maryhill area, the numbers of applicants at the end of April last who were receiving allowances which had been reduced by way of adjustments under the "Stand-still" arrangements were 3,932 and 280 respectively. This excludes adjustments of allowances made in consequence of personal earnings declared at the exchange at the time of payment. I regret that the total amount of reductions up to date is not available.

Mr. Davidson

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the tendency is for these reductions to increase recently, and will he examine it from the point of view that these reductions, when those people go on to public assistance, throws a burden on the local authorities that ought to be taken by the National Exchequer?

Mr. Brown

I think the hon. Member is under a misapprehension. There cannot be any recent case, as the whole thing is completed, and there will be no more reductions on account of differentiation of scale.

Mr. Davidson

If I send the right hon. Gentleman different information, will he investigate it?

Special Area. 24th May, 1937. 16th May, 1938.
Total number registered as unemployed registered as unemployed (insured and uninsured). Percentage unemployed among insured persons aged 16–64. Total number registered as unemployed (insured and uninsured). Percentage unemployed among insured persons aged 16–64.
Durham and Tyneside 108,777 19.2 106,57418.5
West Cumberland 10,758 27.9 9,441 24.2
South Wales and Monmouthshire 108,251 24.7 124,169 28.7
South-West Scotland 63,427 17.2 63,395 17.2
All Special Areas 291,213 20.7 303,579 21.5
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