§ Mr. Malcolm MacMillanasked the Minister of Labour whether he will state the number of people receiving unemployment insurance benefit and the number receiving unemployment assistance, and what percentage each of these is of the insurable total, in the Outer Hebrides?
§ Mr. E. BrownThe statistics on this point regularly compiled by my Department show only the payments of benefit and allowances at particular Employment Exchanges. The only Exchange in the Outer Hebrides is at Stornoway, in the Island of Lewis. The remaining Islands of the Outer Hebrides are served by offices on the mainland, and separate statistics in respect of persons living on the Islands are not available. In the week ended 27th May, 1938, 1,506 payments of insurance benefit, and 1,741 payments of unemployment allowances (exclusive of payments in supplementation of insurance benefit), were made direct through the Stornoway Exchange. These figures represented 26.5 per cent. and 30.6 per cent., respectively, of persons insured against unemployment aged 16–64, within the area of the Stornoway Exchange at July, 1937. The figures for unemployment allowances, however, include a small number of payments to persons not insured against unemployment.
§ Mr. Malcolm MacMillanasked the Minister of Labour how many persons formerly receiving Unemployment Assistance Board's allowances had these allowances completely cut off during this year, to the nearest convenient date, in each of the islands of Barra, South Uist, including Benbecula, North Uist, Harris, and Lewis; and how many in the town of Stornoway?
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§ Mr. E. BrownThe collection of this information involves a large amount of work and local inquiry. The information is being obtained and I will communicate with the hon. Member as soon as possible.