§ 38. Major Legge-Bourkeasked the Minister of Labour how many ex-Service men with no fixed abode have applied during the last 12 months, or other convenient period, to employment exchanges in England and Wales for work; how many have been placed in permanent and temporary employment, respectively; and what steps he is taking to deal with those for whom no employment is available, either in the district where they apply or in the foreseeable future elsewhere.
§ Mr. IsaacsThe information asked for in the first and second parts of the Question is not available. As regards the third part, there are arrangements for liaison between employment exchanges and reception centres of the National Assistance Board designed to assist the resettlement of vagrants by finding them employment, either immediately or after industrial rehabilitation or vocational training when this is needed.
§ Major Legge-BourkeWill the right hon. Gentleman distinguish between ex-Service men who have no fixed abode as a result of the war and those who have been vagrants for a long time? Will he also bear in mind that the instructions given to the National Assistance authorities
| Duration of unemployment | Wisbech | Ely | Chatteris | March | |||||
| 2 weeks or less | … | … | … | … | … | 31 | 5 | 37 | 5 |
| Over 2 weeks and up to 4 weeks | … | … | 37 | 20 | 7 | 2 | |||
| Over 4 weeks and up to 6 weeks | … | … | 16 | 15 | 10 | 4 | |||
| Over 6 weeks and up to 8 weeks | … | … | 48 | 39 | 41 | 8 | |||
| Over 8 weeks and up to 13 weeks | … | … | 36 | — | 61 | 5 | |||
| Over 13 weeks and up to 26 weeks | … | … | 24 | 28 | — | 2 | |||
| Over 26 weeks and up to 39 weeks | … | … | 6 | 1 | — | — | |||
| Over 39 weeks and up to 52 weeks | … | … | 1 | — | — | 1 | |||
| Over 52 weeks | … | … | … | … | … | — | — | — | — |
§ and to his Ministry's authorities are that they should not encourage with help men in this category?
§ Mr. IsaacsThat goes far beyond the original Question. We have a record of ex-Service and non-Service men, and when a man registers and gives an address we do not ask, "Is this your permanent address?" Therefore, we do not know whether he is a vagrant or not.
§ Major Legge-BourkeIs the Minister aware that a good many ex-Service men circulating in the Fens have no fixed abode and that no adequate assistance is being given to them by the Assistance Board? I hope he will do something about it.
§ Mr. IsaacsThat does not come within my Department.