§ 33. Captain Sir William Brassasked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the considerable hardship existing in certain cases under the present regulations governing dependants' allowances for children where the head of a large family not earning a sufficiently high wage, as against the aggregate wages of the older children, to be considered the head of the family maintains the younger members of school age but is unable to draw maintenance allowance for the younger children although the older one's wages are not sufficient to maintain the whole family, he will consider either a modification of the present regulations or a more elastic interpretation of those which exist?
§ Mr. E. BrownMy hon. and gallant Friend has been good enough to send me particulars of a case of this kind, in which I am making inquiries. I will communicate with him in due course.
§ Sir W. BrassIs the Minister aware that this is working very unsatisfactorily in Lancashire, especially in the conditions of under-employment which prevail in that county?
§ Mr. BrownI have had a preliminary look into the case, and will make further inquiries to see how far it has spread.