§ 41. Mr. Keenanasked the Minister of National Insurance how many men have been disqualified for unemployment benefit at the Liverpool employment exchanges since January, 1947, to date, because they had not accepted employment in the coal mines.
§ Mr. SteeleDuring the period 1st January, 1947, to 30th April, 1948, the number of such disqualifications in the Merseyside group of eleven employment exchanges was 580.
§ Mr. KeenanDoes the Minister accept any responsibility for disqualification, or is it entirely a matter for the Ministry of Labour, because this is an alarming number? The nearest mine to the Liverpool area is rather over 10 miles away, and no accommodation is available.
§ Mr. SteeleI appreciate my hon. Friend's point. Of course, he is now discussing whether the offer of employment is right or not, The point is that in these cases that decision must be taken by the statutory authority.