§ 66. Mr. Shinwellasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will introduce legislation with a view to providing a supplementary fund out of Exchequer resources to enable unemployed persons to receive an addition to their unemployment benefit.
§ Mr. N. MacphersonI have no proposals for altering the existing arrangements whereby supplements to unemployment benefit financed directly by the Exchequer are available to those in need by way of National Assistance.
§ Mr. Wainwrightasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will introduce legislation to ensure that a justice of the peace who is unemployed will not be prevented from claiming unemployment benefits for any day or days that he is carrying out his duties in court.
§ Mr. N. MacphersonNo. It is one of the fundamental conditions of entitlement to unemployment benefit that a claimant is available for employment on the day or days in question. Under the law as it stands a claimant such as the hon. Member has in mind can get unemployment benefit where the adjudi-100W Gating authorities are satisfied that in the circumstances of the particular case he fulfils that condition. I do not consider that the change in it which is suggested would be justified.