§ 16. Mr. Stephenasked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware of the scales of maintenance arranged for children under the evacuation scheme during the recent crisis; and whether he will consider applying those scales in connection with unemployment insurance and assistance at an early date?
§ Mr. E. BrownI am aware of the scales of payment to which the hon. Member refers. I do not think, however, that the circumstances they were designed to meet are comparable to those in which unemployment benefit and assistance are paid.
§ Mr. StephenIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that children in their own homes require as much maintenance as when they are evacuated?
§ Mr. BrownMy hon. Friend must know that that general proposition does not apply in certain cases which depend upon the circumstances in which the evacuation takes place.
§ Mr. StephenCan the right hon. Gentleman say what are the differences that require this greater expense when the children have been sent to some other place?
§ Mr. BrownI should be glad to go into that on the appropriate occasion, but it would involve very considerable argument between the hon. Member and myself.
§ 17. Mr. Stephenasked the Minister of Labour whether he will consider introducing legislation at an early date for the abolition of the means test and the raising of the scales of unemployment benefit and assistance, in view of malnutrition resulting from lack of income having a deleterious effect upon the man-power of this country?
§ Mr. StephenIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware from the figures issued by the Secretary of State for War in regard to recruiting statistics that there is very great malnutrition in the country?
§ Mr. StephenIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that many potential recruits for the Army come from the unemployed and that their physical condition can be due to nothing else but the fact that they are not receiving adequate maintenance?