Mr. H. PARKERasked the Minister of Labour whether he can state to the House why the unemployment benefit due to W. Murphy, of Queen Street, Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent, was refused to him and was retained by the Hanley Employment Exchange in repayment of moneys of which he had defrauded the Department by receiving unemployed benefit to which he was not entitled and for which he had been charged at the local police court and had been sentenced to one month's imprisonment with hard labour, which he served and afterwards found employment and, when he became unemployed again, made application to the Employment Exchange to register for unemployment benefit and, whilst he was allowed to register, his benefit was refused him and he was told that he could have no benefit anti: he had repaid the money to the Exchange thus subjecting him to double punishment; and will he say whether he is prepared to issue an instruction for the moneys due to this man to be paid to him?
§ Sir M. BARLOWThe hon. Member has, I think, indicated in his question the reasons for the action taken by the Department. W. Murphy fraudulently obtained nearly £19 in unemployment benefit and was prosecuted and sentenced to one month's imprisonment. The conviction and imprisonment did not in any way entitle him to retain the money fraudulently obtained and the Department therefore took steps to recover it from benefit which subsequently became due. About one-half the money was so recovered, and I have agreed that he shall not be required to pay the balance. In these circumstances I think I have dealt with the case leniently, and I am not prepared to go further.