§ 12. Mr. Kelleyasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if she is aware that when a married woman is discharged from her employment because she is unable to work overtime for compelling domestic reasons she is classed as having committed industrial misconduct; and if she will take steps, by legislation or otherwise, to have this altered.
§ Mr. PentlandAny question of disqualification for unemployment benefit must depend on the view taken by the independent statutory authorities of the way in which the statutory provisions apply in the particular facts of the case. If my hon. Friend has a specific case in mind and cares to let me have details I will look into it.
§ Mr. KelleyI thank my hon. Friend for that reply. Is he aware that the Ministry's representative at a recent tribunal in Doncaster gave enthusiastic support to this rather pernicious doctrine that a woman was denied unemployment benefit because she refused to deprive her husband of her companionship in order to have the employer's wishes gratified—[An HON. MEMBER: "Quite right, too."]—Is my hon. Friend aware that this is not likely to encourage women to enter industrial employment?
§ Mr. PentlandIn view of my hon. Friend's supplementary question, I think it would be better if he lets me have written details of the case.