HC Deb 08 June 1959 vol 606 cc625-7
39. Mr. C. R. Hobson

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will make regulations to reduce the hardship caused to workers who are on short-time, when holidays intervene by not reducing the working week proportionate to the length of holiday.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

I think the hon. Member has in mind a recent case in which difficulty arose as a result of the terms of certain guaranteed week agreements. The solution to the problem lies in the hands of those responsible for these agreements. If the hon. Member has in mind some other matter perhaps he would write to me.

40. Mr. C. R. Hobson

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will make regulations to allow workers who are on Friday and Monday short-time working which are consecutive rostered work days to draw unemployment pay.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

Where Friday and Monday are days of unemployment, there seems to be no reason why these workers should not, subject to the ordinary conditions, be entitled to unemployment benefit. Parliament has placed the decision on individual claims in the hands of statutory authorities, with which I have no right to interfere, but if the hon. Member has in mind any general difficulty and will let me have particulars, I will gladly look into it.

Mr. Hobson

While thanking the right hon. Gentleman for that reply, may I ask whether something should not be done to ensure closer co-ordination between Ministry of Labour officials and the right hon. Gentleman's Department, because they seem to give different rulings in these cases? Whilst agreeing that the right hon. Gentleman's reply is a definite improvement and has clarified the position, may I say that the fact remains that two bodies try to interpret the regulations? Can the right hon. Gentleman put the matter right?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

I have no reason to believe that the Ministry of Labour, which administers unemployment benefit on my behalf, and my own Department take any different view of the law, either on this or any other point, but if the hon. Gentleman has in mind a particular case in which there is difficulty, I should be only too glad to try to sort it out.