§ Mr. MACLEANasked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that Miss Nichol, clerk-typist, 1, Alexandria Terrace, Govan, was refused unemployment benefit by the Govan Employment Exchange because she refused to go to Dumfries as a clerk-typist for the same salary as she had had in Glasgow; that during that week, ending 24th May, 1924, there were registered at the Exployment Exchanges in Carlisle, Dumfries, Annan and Kilmarnock 36 unemployed lady clerks and typists; that no application was made by any local employer for such a class of worker; whether he can state on whose authority Miss Nichol was told to go to Dumfries, where no local employer had applied for a typist; and whether, in view of these facts, he will reconsider this girl's case and have unemployment benefit paid to her, together with the back money to which she is entitled?
§ Miss BONDFIELDA vacancy for a shorthand-typist was notified to the Dumfries Employment Exchange on the 15th May. Local applicants having been submitted to and rejected by the employer, the vacancy was circulated to other Exchanges in accordance with the usual practice, and on the 23rd May it was offered by the Kinning Park Exchange to Miss Nichol. She refused it. Her claim for benefit was, therefore, disallowed by the insurance officer, and his decision was upheld on appeal by the Court of Referees. It appears, however, that, unknown to the Kinning Park Exchange, the vacancy had, in fact, been cancelled by the employer before it was offered by the Exchange to the applicant. The Court of Referees were not aware of this fact, and they are consequently being asked to re-hear the case.
§ Mr. GAVAN-DUFFYasked the Minister of Labour the grounds upon which unemployment benefit is being withheld from Alfred Mellon, of 6, Nelson Street, Millom, who has a widowed mother entirely dependent upon him and has been unemployed for 17 weeks?
§ Miss BONDFIELDThis applicant has received the full amount of benefit to which he was entitled in respect of the contributions to his credit. He was refused uncovenanted benefit, on the recommendation of the local employment committee, on the statutory ground that he 3119W had not paid twenty contributions, and had not been employed, since the 31st December, 1919, for a reasonable length of time in an insurable occupation.