§ Mr. LANSBURYasked the Minister of Labour how many training centres for women are at present working under his control; how many women have received training during the 12 months ending 1st March: the nature of such training, and the emoluments in addition to unemployment pay women receive during their period of training; how many trainees have been placed in regular work; how many have emigrated; and will he inform the House how many women have been struck off or been refused unemployment benefit, and the causes of such refusal during the 12 months mentioned above?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDThe number of home training centres at present in operation is 25, providing accommodation for 1,060 women. These centres are administered by the Central Committee on Women's Training.
3,987 women completed training in home training centres during the 12 months ended lst March, 1927, in addition to 158 who received training under the individual vocational training scheme.
In home training centres instruction is given in domestic subjects, needlework, health subjects and general knowledge. Individual courses have been given in certain approved occupations, namely, shorthand, typewriting, cookery, institutional housekeeping, midwifery, nursery nursing, comptometer operating and hair-dressing. During training women are not eligible for unemployment insurance benefit, but receive maintenance not exceeding £1 per week, or in the case of girls from 16–18, 10s. per week.
Of the women who completed training during the above period 2,745 were known to have obtained work, immediately on the termination of training. Of the 187 individual vocational students, 141 obtained posts.
The Committee have no information as to the number of women who have gone overseas after training.
In the 12 months ended 14th March, 1927, out of 533,398 applications by females for extended unemployment benefit con- 1902W sidered by local committees in Great Britain, 167,740 were recommended for disallowance. In the 12 months ended 28th February, 1927, 174,693 claims by females, including claims for standard benefit were disallowed on statutory grounds by the insurance officer. The following table gives an analysis of the grounds of disallowance in these cases:
Recommendations by Local Committees for the disallowance of claims to extended benefit. Grounds of disallowance. Number of claims disallowed. Not normally insurable and not seeking to obtain a livelihood by means of insurable employment 12,917 Insurable employment not likely to be available 4,348 Not a reasonable period of insurable employment during the preceding two years 25,476 Not making every reasonable effort to obtain suitable employment or not willing to accept suitable employment 41,827 Single persons residing with relatives to whom they can look for support:— (a) Age under 25 years 28,249 (b) 25 years and over 1,953 Married women living with husbands to whom they can look for support 29,938 Short-time workers earning sufficient for maintenance 16,111 Aliens 20 Postponed for a definite period 6,901 Total 167,740 1903W
Disallowances by Insurance Officer. Grounds of disallowance. Number of claims* disallowed. Claim not made in prescribed manner 146 Not unemployed 1,687 Not capable of work 2,791 Not available for work 2,262 Refusal of suitable employment 16,679 Not genuinely seeking work 89,586 Failure to attend courses of instruction 153 Trade disputes 989 Employment lost through misconduct 20,115 Employment left voluntarily without just cause 35,346 Inmates of prison, workhouse, etc. 17 In receipt of old age pension 135 In receipt of wages or payment 4,581 Other reasons 206 Total 174,693 * The decisions in a proportion of these cases were reversed on appeal. I am unable to state the number of separate individuals represented by the claims referred to above, nor the number of such individuals who received unemployment benefit at some time during the period.