§ 48. Mr. R. Gibsonasked the Minister of Labour how many families in Greenock were in receipt of reduced benefits because some unit of the household was earning a wage at the last available date, and at the corresponding date six months earlier?
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour (Mr. Lennox-Boyd)I have assumed that the hon. and learned Member is referring to unemployment assistance, not unemployment benefit. The only figures available are those on the basis of a sample inquiry made on 3rd December last, when the number of persons on the Unemployment Assistance Board's register in the administrative area of Greenock was approximately 3,000, and it was estimated that in about 450 cases the applicant's household contained wage-earners whose earnings were partly taken into account in assessing the needs of the applicant. These figures do not include persons who, because of substantial household resources, have either not made application or have ceased to apply for allowances. The numbers of persons on the Board's register in this area at 1st April and 30th September were approximately 2,900 and 2,600 respectively.