§ Sir G. COLLINSasked the Minister of Labour if his attention has been drawn to a case of violation of the Trade Boards Act by a firm in Greenock, whereby a number of girls have ceased work as a protest and have been refused unemployment benefit; and will he make inquiries into the matter?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDI assume that my hon. Friend refers to a firm at Greenock some of whose female work-people ceased work in the belief that they were not being paid at the appropriate Trade Board minimum rates. Visits by Trade Board inspectors in January and at the end of March indicate that this belief was mistaken, and that there has been no breach of the Trade Boards Acts. The question of unemployment benefit falls to be decided by the statutory machinery,i.e., the insurance officer, Courts of Referees and, in certain cases, the Umpire. I understand that benefit has been disallowed in a number of cases by the insurance officer, and that applicants have appealed against the decision.