HC Deb 06 February 1967 vol 740 cc1084-5
4. Mr. Gwilym Roberts

asked the Minister of Social Security if she is aware that the payment of unemployment benefits on a day-to-day basis operates to the disadvantage of the five-day worker, relative to the six-day worker and what steps she is taking to change this day-by-day calculation of unemployment benefit for workers on short-time.

Miss Herbison

I am aware that many complications arise over the payment of unemployment benefit to workers on short time. However, it is the Government's view that employers should he responsible for their employees during short-time working, and under the National Insurance Act, 1966, the payment of unemployment benefit to workers on short time will end in March, 1969.

Mr. Roberts

I thank my right hon. Friend for that Answer. Is she aware that at present the normal period of payment for the great bulk of industrial workers is the week and they therefore feel very badly treated when they find, on being unemployed for one day, that they get only one-sixth of a week's unemployment benefit and not one-fifth? Will my right hon. Friend undertake in the short term to look at the period of payment for unemployment?

Miss Herbison

The difficulties of administering a scheme with two different bases, which is what my hon. Friend is asking for, of calculating benefit for odd days, would be out of all proportion to the amounts involved to the individual claimant.

Mr. Maurice Macmillan

The Minister must know of cases where a five-day week is being worked by some sections of workpeople and a six-day week by another, according to the type of machinery used. Can she at least make some arrangements to remove the discrepancies which arise in such cases and which are caused entirely by the type of equipment used?

Miss Herbison

Some workers at an establishment work five days and others work six days per week. I am still convinced that it would not be worth while to have two different bases of calculation.