§ Captain GARRO-JONESasked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that. Miss D. A. S. Robinson, a power-machinist, has been disqualified at the Hackney Employment Exchange from receiving unemployment benefit on the ground that she is not genuinely seeking work; that this conclusion was reached because she had had an opportunity of work as a treadle-machinist; that, having accepted that opportunity, she found herself physically unable to carry out this more onerous and, for her, unsuitable work and, in fact, fainted at the machine and whether he will have Miss Robinson's case re-investigated?
§ Mr. BETTERTONI have had inquiry made, and find that Miss Robinson appealed to the Court of Referees, before1736W whom she attended in person. After hearing her statement of her case the Court upheld the disallowance of her claim. It was not alleged before the Court that she accepted the work and found on trial that she was unable to perform it. On the contrary, the evidence before the Court was that she refused even to give the work a trial. I have no power to review the Court's decision.
§ Mr. GROVESasked the Minister of Labour if he will investigate the circumstances attending the refusal of unemployment benefit to Mr. J. Wilson, of 45, Bridge Road, Stratford, E.15, on the grounds that he refused suitable employment, whereas this man was offered a job as a cooper at Bradford, the hourly wage being is. 3d., although the standard trade union wage for this class of work in the town of Bradford is 1s. 7d. per hour; and will he call the attention of the local exchange to the matter, and instruct them not to send persons to situations under trade union rates of pay?
§ Mr. BETTERTONThe insurance officer has reconsidered this case in the light of further information, and benefit is being paid as from the date of the original disallowance. As regards the last part of the question the rule laid down in the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1920, as regards claims for standard benefit it that benefit is not to be stopped owing to refusal of a job in another district if the rate of wage is lower or the conditions less favourable than those generally observed in that district by agreement between associations of employers and of employees or failing any such agreement, than those generally recognised in that district by good employers.