HOLIDAYS-WITH-PAY. (Hansard, 20 July 1939)

§ 16. Mr. White
asked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been drawn to the hardships arising under the holidays-with-pay rules, whereby applicants lose more in benefit than they receive in holiday pay; and whether he will take steps to rectify this?

§ Mr. E. Brown
The disallowance of benefit for days of holiday irrespective of the amount of any holiday pay received is in accordance with the provisions of the present law and of the Act recently passed. If the hon. Member's suggestion is that holiday pay should be supplemented by unemployment benefit I would point out that no action could be better calculated to prevent a proper system of payment of wages for holidays from being introduced.

§ Mr. White
Will the right hon. Gentleman inquire into what happens in cases where the holiday pay is received on the third day of the three days' unemployment?

§ Mr. Brown
Perhaps the hon. Member will put that question on the Paper in precise terms. The whole system is very complicated.

§ Mr. White
If I send the Minister some cases, will he consider them?

§ 22. Mr. Logan
asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that holiday pay for casual labourers in Liverpool is being deducted from Unemployment Assistance Board and standard benefits; that men on standard benefits have been stopped one to four days' pay; and will he inquire and adjust in favour of the men?

§ Mr. Brown
As stated in my reply to the hon. Member for Spennymoor (Mr. Batey) on 13th July, the practice of the Board in regard to the treatment of holiday pay received by applicants or by members of their households is set out on pages 11 and 12 of the Board's Annual Report for 1938. On the question of unemployment benefit, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I have given to-day to the hon. Member for East Birkenhead (Mr. White).

§ Mr. Logan
Will the Minister entirely change the system and see that in the case of men who are casually employed the deductions shall not take place in view of the hardship that is caused and in view of the fact that the deduction makes it impossible to ask the men to go and look for work?

§ Mr. Brown
I understand the hon. Member's point of view, but I do not quite share it.

§ Mr. Logan
Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that if the men are casually employed and deductions are made from their wages for holidays with pay, they might as well not work at all?

§ Mr. Brown
The hon. Member will understand that the matter is not as simple as that.