§ Mr. SITCHasked the Minister of Labour the number of cases of applicants for unemployment benefit which have been before the local rota committee and recommended for benefit by those committees and subsequently disallowed by the divisional controller during the first six months of this year?
§ Mr. BETTERTONI regret that I cannot give this information. I may mention that in the comparatively small number of cases in which the recommendation of rota committees are not accepted, the decision is commonly given by headquarters, or follows decisions in similar cases previously so given.
§ Mr. SHORTasked the Minister of Labour whether he is now in a position to state the result of his inquiries respecting the disallowance of unemployed benefit of workers suspended by certain Wednesbury employers during the period of stocktaking?
§ Mr. BETTERTONI find that benefit was disallowed by the insurance officer in the first instance on the ground that the works had closed for a period of customary holiday. The claims of the employés of two of the three firms concerned have now been allowed on appeal. The appeal on behalf of the employés of the third firm is being heard by the Court of Referees this week. I will notify the hon. Member of the result as soon as possible.