§ Mr. THORNEasked the Minister of Labour the reason why the means test commissioner at Rotherham refuses to receive a deputation of the trades council; and the number of applicants claiming transitional unemployment benefit?
Mr. HUDSONMy right hon. Friend has no authority to interfere with the commissioner's discretion as regards receiving deputations. The commissioner has announced that he is willing at all times to receive representations upon 651W individual cases from the persons affected. The number of applicants for transitional payments on the register of the Rotherham Employment Exchange at 23rd January was 4,239.