HC Deb 19 November 1946 vol 430 cc664-5
18. Major Legge-Bourke

asked the Minister of Labour how many of the 3,000 unemployed agricultural workers have been in employment during the recent harvest; how many were then classed as casual workers; and how many are unemployed as a result of voluntary dismissal.

Mr. Isaacs

Only four of the unemployed workers in agriculture at 16th September were classified as casual workers. I regret that the information asked for in the other parts of the Question is not available.

19. Mr. Baldwin

asked the Minister of Labour how many of the 3,457 registered unemployed agricultural workers on 16th September were living in an area where the harvest was not completed; and, in view of the unlimited demand for farm workmen during September, why these men were entitled to draw unemployment pay.

Mr. Isaacs

I am unable to give the figure asked for in the first part of the Question. Those who were receiving unemployment benefit must have been satisfying the statutory requirements which entitled them to payment.

Mr. Baldwin

In view of the fact that these men must have known at least a fortnight ahead that they were going to be unemployed, is there no machinery under which they can be directed to work when they are registered as unemployed?

Mr. Isaacs

This question is specifically related to agricultural workers who are unemployed at a certain date, and whether they are living in an area where the harvest was not completed. We should have to make inquiries, firstly, into the exact areas in which the men were living, and, secondly, whether the harvest was completed at that date in those areas. Men are sent to work as soon as a vacancy occurs.

Major Legge-Bourke

Are these men offered agricultural work before they are offered any other type of work?

Mr. Isaacs

Most definitely. I think I shall be safe in saying that wherever agricultural workers are shown over a period as unemployed on the books, it is not the same men with whom we are dealing There are some on the books at a given moment, but they are not always the same people at different dates.