§ 49. Mr. Ness Edwardsasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance to state, for each region, the number of persons who have lost unemployment benefit by the lapsing of Section 62, National Insurance Act, 1946, to the latest convenient date.
§ Mr. PeakeThe latest figures about the expiry of Section 62 of the National Insurance Act, 1946, relate to the position at 23rd September, 1953. When the Section expired about 47,500 persons were drawing extended benefit, of whom about one-third were also getting supplementation from the National Assistance Board. By 23rd September about 17,400 had ceased to draw unemployment benefit. Of these, over 6,750 had obtained work; nearly 2,000 had qualified for retirement pension, sickness benefit or unemployability supplement; and about 4,000 were in receipt of National Assistance, of whom approximately half had previously been drawing it in supplementation of extended benefit. The balance of approximately 4,500 includes 2,300 who had ceased to register for employment.
The 17,400 referred to above are distributed among the regions approximately as follows:
England, by Regions: London and South Eastern … 2,500 Eastern … 450 Southern … 650 South Western … 900 Midlands … 500 North Midlands … 400 East and West Ridings … 800 North Western … 2,950 Northern … 1,850 Scotland … 3,950 Wales … 2,450 Great Britain … 17,400