§ Mr. TOUCHEasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that W. Chapple, a first class painter, resident in Islington, complains that he has suffered unemployment owing to his insurance book having been issued to him by the Labour Exchanges and Unemployment Insurance Department of the Board of Trade without credit being given for seven weeks stamps placed on emergency card No. 1364, issued to Chapple, as his book was not ready when the Act came into force; that this card was taken from him when the book was issued; that he was thus made to appear as having been out of work for the seven weeks, and this fact told against him in trying to get a job; is he aware that the book was returned to the Board of Trade on or about the 10th September for the omission to be rectified, where it was kept for many 793W days; that during its absence, Chapple was promised employment subject to the production of his book; that, when he at length obtained it from the Board of Trade on the evening of the 20th September, after a personal call that day, it was in the same condition as before, but accompanied by an unsigned memorandum to the effect that credit for seven stamps had been placed to his account; that this memorandum was not regarded as a sufficient substitute for a credit in the book, and Chapple failed to get the job; can he say if there is any method of alleviating the hardship of Chapple's case, and is the practice followed in that case a usual one; and will steps be taken to prevent any risk of other men suffering in a similar way?
Mr. BUXTONIt is not the case that the reason of Mr. Chapple receiving a temporary unemployment book was that his book was not ready when the Act came into force. He did not apply for a book until 29th July,i.e., a fortnight after the Act came into operation. He was at once provided with a temporary book, and on 7th August he was notified that his permanent book was ready. He did not call for it however until 2nd September, and it was received back with a query on 13th September. On 20th September Mr. Chapple had an interview with the Insurance Officer who answered his queries and returned his book with a memorandum to the effect stated in the question. It has not been the practice to make any record in the permanent unemployment books of the stamps affixed to the temporary books exchanged for them, but credit for all these contributions is of course given to each workman in the official register. I understand that this system has worked quite smoothly and that this is the only complaint received, although 82,000 temporary books were issued in the London district alone.