§ Sir P. PILDITCHasked the Minister of Labour if any payments are being made to people out of work beyond payments under the Unemployment Insurance Act and relief granted by boards of guardians; and, if such sums are being paid, to what categories of persons and the amount thereof?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAAs far as I am aware, the only payments other than those specified in the question now being math out of public funds to workpeople out of work are the payments of out-of-work donation due to unemployed ex-service men and women who, after serving on a duration-of-the-war engagement, were discharged from the forces within the previous 12 months. These payments are now few and rapidly diminishing in number. On 21st October the number in receipt of out-of-work donation was 192, and the weekly payments made amounted to £232. I should add that, as my hon. Friend is no doubt aware, certain payments additional to unemployment benefit are proposed for six months from 10th November by the Unemployed Workers' Dependants (Temporary Provision) Bill now before Parliament. That Bill, it will be remembered, provides expressly that the whole amount of these additional payments and also of the unemployment benefit itself must be taken into account by boards of guardians when dealing with applications for relief.