§ Mr. GRUNDYasked the Minister of Labour if his attention has been drawn to a statement in the Press, made by Mr. Herbert Smith, president of the Yorkshire Miners' Association, in respect to a decision of the local unemployment committee not to grant unemployed pay to the men thrown out of work by the closing of the Woolley Colliery; and if he will cause investigations to be made with a view to see that these men receive pay in accordance with the Unemployment Insurance Act?
§ Mr. HIRSTasked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that a large number of men have been given notice at the Woolley Colliery, near Barnsley, owing, it was alleged, to the pits not proving a paying proposition; that the men had no other alternative but to accept the notices; that at the end of the notice they were asked to work on day-to-day contracts, which the men readily agreed to; that, while this was being done, the management put up notices that. the colliery could only be worked at very substantial reductions in wages; and will he make inquiries into this case and see that unemployment pay is given to the men thrown out of work.
§ Dr. MACNAMARAAs my hon. Friends are aware, the decision whether unemployment benefit is payable in any case rests with the Insurance Officer, with a right of appeal to the Court of Referees and the Umpire. The Insurance Officer, and subsequently the Court of Referees, found that the workpeople in question were unemployed in consequence of a stoppage of work due to a trade dispute, and were, therefore, disqualified for benefit under Section 8 (i) of the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1920.