§ Mr. C. EDWARDSasked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been drawn to the numerous cases in which miners have been refused extended benefit on the ground that they are not making reasonable efforts to obtain employment; whether he is aware that in the majority of such cases it is a matter of common knowledge that at all the collieries in the neighbourhood large numbers of those normally employed in the colliery are out of work, and that to visit such collieries in search of work would be useless; and whether he will take steps to revise the Regulations as to the evidence required in such cases to prove that reasonable efforts have been made?
§ Mr. BETTERTONThese disallowances of benefit are imposed in almost all cases on the recommendation of rota committees, who have knowledge of local circumstances such as those referred to in the question, and I know of no reason for supposing that such circumstances are not taken fully into account.