§ Mr. SEXTONasked the Minister of Labour if he is aware of the practice whereby casually employed men at the docks are subject to examination of their unemployment insurance cards by employers after the first one or two days of the week, preference being given to men with stamped cards, and that as a consequence a system of illicit sale of insurance stamps is in vogue by which the man seeking employment is penalised by having to purchase stamps at 3d. above their face value; and, seeing that there is at present no legal protection against such
1806Wthe amount granted for the four months ending 28th February, 1923?
Mr. CHAMBERLAIN:The applications dealt with by the Unemployment Grants Committee are as follow:
a system, can he make provision in the Bill now under discussion with that object in view?
§ Sir M. BARLOW:I have no specific evidence that employers give a preference to men whose cards or books are already stamped, or with regard to the illicit sale of stamps in the manner suggested. If the hon. Member can supply me with further details I will at once cause inquiry to be made. I may add that a proposal to strengthen the law as to the illicit sale of unemployment insurance stamps is contained in Clause 8 of the Unemployment Insurance Bill now before Parliament.