§ Mr. BARNESasked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that casual workers in the docks in East London suffer considerable distress through the six days' waiting period, now part of the Regulations of the Unemployment Insurance Act; and if he will undertake to amend the Act to treat each working day separately for this class of worker?
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Great Britain.* Northern Division.† Newcastle-on Tyne, Elswick and Heaton. 24th September, 1920 … 228,559 9,489 3,322 ‡15th October, 1920 … 251,682 10,154 3,711 26th November, 1920 … 351,081 17,872 4,443 31st December, 1920 … 470,283 23,089 5,003 28th January, 1921 … 635,145 82,694 6,132 25th February, 1921 … 743,132 45,389 6,391 25th March, 1921 … 866,624 64,926 7,355 29th April, 1921 … 1,178,566 132,712 15,318 27th May, 1921 … 1,380,457 149,695 16,219 24th June, 1921 … 11459,639 164,243 18,304 29th July, 1921 … 1,269,305 137,640 13,533 26th August, 1921 … 1,115,301 123,579 12,126 30th September, 1921 … 1,016,315 118,462 10,684 28th October, 1921 … 1,188,850 145,853 13,267 25th November, 1921 … 1,334,514 155,341 16.487 30th December, 1921 … 1,375,026 161,934 15,927 31st January, 1922 … 1,381,318 154,989 14,928 28th February, 1922 … 1,334,740 143,832 14,341 27th March, 1922 … 1,283,536 141,269 14,747 24th April, 1922 … 1,309,252 145,251 16,106 29th May, 1922 … 1,204,136 141,236 16,113 26th June, 1922 … 1,173,276 142,011 17,487 31st July, 1922 … 1,119,794 132,369 16,409 28th August, 1922 … 1,090,162 129,694 16,506 25th September, 1922 … 1 085,108 128,256 16,989 30th October, 1922 … 1,097,216 129,822 18,071 20th November, 1922 … 1,123,135 130,512 19,113 * Figures for the United Kingdom are not available for the whole of the period. †Comprising the counties of Northumberland, Durham, Cumberland, Westmorland and the Cleveland Division of Yorkshire. ‡Coal dispute 18th October to 6th November, 1920. No figures available for the end of October, 1920.
§ Sir M. BARLOWThe six days1 waiting period is a general provision applying to all insured contributors, and I do not think it would be equitable to discriminate in favour of one class. In certain cases casual workers find it specially difficult to qualify for benefit, but this is due rather to the rule relating to continuity of unemployment, and this rule is at present being carefully examined in the Ministry.