§ 6. Mr. Doddsasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will take the necessary action designed to increase scales of unemployment benefit in view of the indications that the Middle East situation will adversely affect employment and the cost of living.
§ 14. Mr. Allaunasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if, in view of the increased unemployment likely to be caused by the oil and petrol shortage and by the general aftermath of the armed conflict in Egypt, he will consider raising unemployment benefit from its present level of £2 a week for a single person.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterDifferential benefit rates such as are proposed in these Questions would be contrary to the accepted basis of the National Insurance Scheme.
§ Mr. DoddsWould the right hon. Gentleman say which is the proper quarter in which to raise this matter, because is it not a fact that the cost of living has gone up substantially since the scales were fixed and, in view of the fear for the immediate future, surely he or someone else will do something about this important matter?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterWhat the hon. Gentleman's Question relates to is a proposal to deal separately with the rates of unemployment benefit. If he studies the Beveridge Report he will see a clear criticism of the danger of having unemployment benefit raised above sick benefit 7 rates, with the result that people not fit to work would be struggling down to register.
§ Mr. AllaunThen why cannot the Minister raise all the benefits? Does he realise that £2 a week total for old-age pensions or any other benefit leaves, in many cases, less than 2s. a day for food, and many men and women who will not go on National Assistance will go hungry in Britain this winter through no fault of their own? Cannot he therefore raise all the benefits?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe Question relates to unemployment benefit rates separately. I have already dealt with the main issue in a number of answers.