§ 23. Mr. C. R. Hobsonasked the Minister of Labour to what extent under his regulations a person who has worked short-time for twelve months automatically becomes a part-time worker and, as such, is disentitled to unemployment benefit.
§ The Minister of Pensions and National Insurance (Mr. John Boyd-Carpenter)I have been asked to reply. I recently made Regulations, coming into force on 8th April, 1959, which ensure that in determining the normal extent of a person's working week for the purposes of unemployment benefit, no account will be taken of short-time working due to adverse industrial conditions.
§ Mr. HobsonWhilst thanking the right hon. Gentleman for that reply, 615 may I suggest that he has hardly answered the Question? Rather has he answered Questions in my name which appear later on the Order Paper. What the Question asks is whether a worker who is on short time for a considerable period then becomes classed as a short-time worker and is not entitled to unemployment pay as such. At the moment, employed workers are put into two categories. They can be shown as part-time workers and a person can be a part-time worker whilst at the same time not being a part-time worker in so far as he is only on short-time. Will the Minister look into the matter? I know that it is very complex.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterYes. The hon. Member has referred to a number of aspects, but I understood him to have principally in mind on this Question, apart from the others which I shall be answering later, the situation which had arisen on the construction of the 1948 Regulations in relation to men who were working short-time due to adverse industrial conditions. As my main Answer made clear, we have dealt with that and restored the position to what, I understand, it was always intended to be.