§ Mr. GROVESasked the Minister of Labour if he will give consideration to the hardship imposed upon Miss D. R. Johnson, No. 34,526, Stratford Exchange, who, although having paid contributions for many years to the insurance scheme, was, with other employés in a local workshop, refused benefit on the grounds that the period of unemployment, 30th July to 12th August, was a period of customary holiday and the claimant was not therefore unemployed; and whether, seeing that the workshop was closed for 12 days for the employer to take a holiday and no holiday pay whatever was given to the workpeople, he will have the case investigated?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDI find that Miss Johnson's claim was disallowed, not from 30th July to 12th August, as the hon. Member suggests, but from 1st to 6th August, which is the week customarily observed as a holiday by the firm with which she works. The decision in this case follows the umpire's ruling that persons cannot be regarded as unemployed on customary holidays falling within a period of employment or a short period of suspension, although they do no work and get no wages. Apart from the week's customary holiday, Miss Johnson, in common with other employés, was suspended for seven days; six of these days constituted the statutory waiting period, and Miss Johnson was, therefore, entitled to one day's benefit, which was paid to her.
§ Mr. W. THORNEasked the Minister of Labour (1) how many married workers have been disqualified from unemployment benefit during the current year because of their refusal to accept employment away from home at less wages than that operating in their own locality; and whether he has issued instructions to disqualify workers from benefit on such grounds;
(2) if he is aware that insured workers are being disqualified from unemployment benefit owing to their refusal to accept employment in towns which are a considerable distance from their homes, and where similar classes of workers are 1059W already registering at the Exchange; and if he will state whether he has issued instructions to this effect?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDThe figures asked for are not available. The question whether, if work were offered in the circumstances indicated, its refusal would entail disallowance of benefit is one not for me but for the statutory authorities set up by the Acts. It is, however, the general practice to exhaust the supply of local suitable labour before going further afield.