§ 2. Mr. Ellis Smithasked the Minister of Labour whether he has considered the 1357 resolutions passed by the Distressed Areas Conference sub-committee; and what action does he propose to take?
§ Mr. E. BrownI would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Everton (Mr. Kirby) on 28th April last, of which I am sending him a copy.
§ Mr. SmithI understand that the Minister met a deputation; has he given further consideration to the issues raised, and will he, in view of them, consider recommending amending legislation to deal with the grievances of the local authorities?
§ Mr. BrownIf the hon. Gentleman will look at the answer, which is a long one, and the supplementary questions to it, he will see that I have dealt with that point and given the reasons.
§ 6 and 7. Mr. Buchananasked the Minister of Labour (1) whether he is aware that applicants for allowances under the Unemployment Assistance Board regulations are subject to investigation not only on their own and their family income but also as to their private lives, and the views held by them on political and other subjects, which are reported on by the investigator; whether he will state the full nature of the inquiries which are made; and take steps to see that this form is submitted to the applicant for his comments;
(2) whether he will state the instructions which are issued to investigators under the Unemployment Assistance Board for their guidance when inquiry is made as to the means of applicants?
§ 12. Mr. Gallacherasked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that the report of a means test investigating officer on the case of John Gellatty, of 182, Hospital Street, Glasgow, contains remarks about his alleged political opinions, and the fact that in his room was to be found a copy of the Unemployment Insurance Act, with the remark that he seemed to be well up in matters relative to that Act; why such information is considered as having any bearing on the man's claims; whether inquiries of this nature are sanctioned by the Ministry; and, if not, whether he will issue instructions that they be discontinued?
§ 26 and 27. Mr. Edeasked the Minister of Labour (1) whether he will make available for Members of the House blank copies of the form on which recently an applicant to the Unemployment Assistance Board in South Shields was described as a man holding extremist views and not a type to be encouraged;
(2) whether he has given instructions that no regard is to be paid to the political and religious views of applicants for unemployment benefit or for allowances from the Unemployment Assistance Board; and whether he will make it clear that inquiries of this kind are not to be made, and that appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against officials who make such inquiries or record such information?
§ Mr. BrownThe Board's officers are instructed to investigate and report upon such of the circumstances of applicants for allowances and their households as are relevant to the Act and Regulations relating to the assessment of needs. In view of certain recent cases in which irrelevant matters were introduced into these reports, the Board has issued express instructions in the following terms:
Reports by investigating officers must be strictly confined to the recording of matters which are relevant to the determination of allowances or to other decisions, e.g., in regard to eligibility for training which it is competent for officers of the Board to take. The religious or political views of applicants are wholly irrelevant to such decisions, and the greatest care must be taken by officers of all ranks to exclude any comments on such matters from their reports on the circumstances of the applicants and their households.As regards the last part of Question No. 6, the particulars recorded with regard to the membership and resources of the household are shown to the applicant and ordinarily signed by him. Any comments which the investigating officer may record in regard to the general circumstances of the case, as, for example, those relating to special needs or discretionary treatment, are not shown to the applicant, nor do I think it would be to his interest, or in the general interests of the administration of the scheme, that there should be a rule requiring them to be so shown. I should add that all information put before the tribunal in case of appeal is given also to the applicant or his representative. I am placing in 1359 the Library copies of forms B 6 and B 11 for the convenience of Members.
§ Mr. BuchananShould not a document that has a bearing on a man's case be shown to him in order that he may have access to the information that is before the board?
§ Mr. GallacherCan the Minister explain how in this investigation report we get information that the man expatiates on the cost of living and that he is a seditious type? Is the Minister aware that sedition is a crime, and is he prepared to protect the unemployed from what can only be considered a criminal libel by the investigation officer?
§ Mr. BrownThe board and I are much obliged to the hon. Member for South Shields (Mr. Ede), who first called attention to a case of this kind, because it has enabled the board to issue this express instruction.
§ Mr. EdeWith regard to the last part of Question 27, is it made clear to these officers that it is a serious breach of discipline to enter any of these comments on the forms supplied to them, and will steps be taken to enforce disciplinary action if there should be further breaches?
§ Mr. BrownThere is no doubt about that. That is why the board have issued an express instruction to every one of their staff.
§ Mr. GallacherIs the Minister aware that this photograph of the investigation reveals methods of investigation that are more in keeping with the methods of the Criminal Investigation Department than of the Unemployment Assistance Board, and will he take steps to see that the man responsible for this investigation is dealt with?
§ Mr. StephenArising out of Question 12, will the Ministry refuse to accept responsibility in the case of an action by Mr. Gellatty against the board for libel?
§ Mr. BuchananI am not entirely satisfied with the answers to Questions 5 and 6, and I give notice that, as soon as possible, I will raise the subjects on the Adjournment.
§ 10. Sir William Jenkinsasked the Minister of Labour what number of persons in the county of Glamorgan received winter allowance from the Unemployment Assistance Board; and what number have received special allowance for the year 1937 and the latest date in this year?
§ Mr. BrownInformation relating specifically to the county of Glamorgan is not available, but in the board's administrative districts of Cardiff and Swansea, which include almost the whole of the county area as well as the three county boroughs, there were on the 17th January last 25,436 applicants in receipt of winter additions. In reply to the second part of the question, perhaps the hon. Member will be so good as to inform me as to the type of allowance referred to as special allowance and the area in respect of which he desires information.
§ 11. Mr. Thorneasked the Minister of Labour how many able-bodied unemployed persons were transferred to the care of the Unemployment Assistance Board on 1st April, 1937, in West Ham, Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow; how many were rejected on the grounds of their being unfit for work; and how many of those unfit for work have found employment between April, 1937, and 1938?
§ Mr. BrownAs the reply contains a table of figures, I will, if I may, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. KirkwoodWith reference to Glasgow, which is one of the towns mentioned, and the last part of the question, can the Minister give us any idea of those unfit for work who have found employment in 1937 and 1938?
§ Mr. BrownIf the hon. Member will look at the answer he will find two columns of figures, the first recording the number taken over from public assistance, 1361 which in the case of Glasgow was 18,931, and the other those who were not, numbering 529. I cannot say how many of the 529 found employment.
Following is the reply:
The table below shows in column (1) the localities in respect of which information is desired; in column (2) the administrative areas of the Board to which the figures in the table are related (these areas are not co-terminous with local authority areas of the same name); in
Column (1) Column (2) Column (3) (a) (b) West Ham … … Canning Town … … 705 55 Stepney Stratford Leeds … … Leeds (1), (2) and (3) … … 1,779 141 Sheffield … … Sheffield (1) and (2) … … 2,588 178 Attercliffe Walkley Liverpool … … Liverpool, Central (1), (2) and (3) … … 11,317 450 Liverpool, South East (1) and (2) Riverside. Walton (1) and (2) Old Swan. Garston. Manchester … … Manchester Central … … 2,934 172 Ardwick Newton Heath. Openshaw. Rusholme. Trafford Bar. Birmingham … … Birmingham (1) and (2) … … 209 27 Glasgow … … Glasgow Central … … 18,931 529 Glasgow South Side (1) and (2). Bridgeton (1) (2) and (3). Finnieston. Goven. Kinning Park. Partick Parkhead (1) and (2). Maryhill. Springburn. Information as to how many of the persons recorded in Column (3) (b) found employment between April, 1937, and April, 1938, is not available
14. Mr. Davidsonasked the Minister of Labour whether he will recommend a special summer allowance to the unemployed during the summer months?
Mr. DavidsonWill the Minister give consideration to the fact that during the summer the foodstuffs in working-class houses are apt to waste to a greater extent than in the winter and that that creates more hardship among the unemployed?
§ column (3) the numbers of persons (exclusive of their dependants) in receipt of public assistance prior to 1st April, 1937, who on that day were (a) taken over from the public assistance authorities and (b) held to be outside the scope of the Unemployment Assistance Act on the ground that they were not capable of or were not available for work. It is not possible to give separate figures for these two grounds, which may of course be concurrent.
§ Mr. BrownI am more concerned with the fact that certain local authorities, about 19 in number, made an addition to the assistance given to the poor in the winter.
§ 15. Mr. Bateyasked the Minister of Labour the number of persons in Great Britain who were receiving payments in Great Britain in March, 1935, from the Unemployment Assistance Board, and the number on the latest available date; and the numbers for the same dates in the administrative district of Durham?
§ Mr. BrownThe average weekly number of payments of unemployment assistance allowances in Great Britain in March, 1935, was 729,812; the number of payments in the week ended 8th April, 1938 (exclusive of payments in supplementation of insurance benefit), was 556,566. The corresponding figures for the Unemployment Assistance Board's administrative district of Durham were 40,594 and 24,096, respectively. Comparison of the figures for these dates is affected by the extension of the scope of the Unemployment Assistance Scheme as from 1st April, 1937, the Second Appointed Day.
§ 24. Mr. Graham Whiteasked the Minister of Labour whether the reductions in allowances by the Unemployment Assistance Board in respect of winter allowances will be limited to those applicants who have received such allowances?
§ 25. Mr. Whiteasked the Minister of Labour whether any estimate has been made of the saving to the Exchequer from the application of the needs test, having regard to the rise in the cost of administration of the Board?
§ Mr. BrownNo, Sir, I have nothing to add on this question to the reply to the hon. Member for Stoke (Mr. E. Smith) on 19th May, 1938, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy.
§ Mr. WhiteIs the Minister in a position to state that the continuation of these means test inquiries does not cost more than they save?
§ Mr. ThorneDoes the Minister think that the abolition of the means test will be brought about during the lifetime of this Parliament?