§ Mr. W. GRAHAMasked the Minister of Labour whether his Department states in one circular dealing with the Unemployment Insurance Act that unemployment benefit is obtainable in two ways, through an Employment Exchange or through an association or society which pays unemployment benefit; whether another circular states that the unemployment benefit must be paid by the recent employer of an unemployed person to his former employé, the employer to apply for refund to an Employment Exchange; and whether, in view of the fact that these methods involve different book-keeping for business firms, he will state which one should be followed?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe normal procedure for the payment of unemployment benefit is that it may be claimed either at an Employment Exchange or through an association of which the claimant is a member, and no accounts are required to be kept by an employer. During the emergency arising out of the coal strike, special arrangements were made under which employers who were willing to enter into an arrangement paid unemployment benefit and out-of-work donation on behalf of the Ministry to their employés. Such arrangements were quite voluntary on the part of employers and 1207W will not form part of the normal procedure for payment of unemployment benefit under the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1920.