§ Mr. SHINWELLasked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been called to the case of Charles Gillon, of Mosside Cottage, Bathgate, who was, in 1926, declared unfit to follow his occupation as a pit madman by His Majesty's Inspector of Mines; whether he is aware that unemployment benefit was at first refused; that benefit was then granted, but only from 8th June; that benefit was stopped on 1st October, and on what grounds; why he was not entitled to claim benefit as from 1st May; whether the umpire who decided the claim had all the facts of this case before him or dealt with the claim on general lines; and under which provision in the Act the Ministry withholds or suspends benefit where a man is unemployed in consequence of a decision by the Inspector of Mines?
§ Mr. BETTERTONMr. Gillon lost his employment at the end of April, 1926, on account of the trade dispute and not on account of his physical disability. This disability subsequently came to the notice of the employer, who, acting on the advice of the Mines inspector, decided that he could not re-employ Mr. Gillon underground. Mr. Gillon thereupon claimed benefit, which was allowed and paid up to October. On further investigation, however, it was found that this payment was made in error; the case was ultimately decided by the umpire, who held that benefit should be disallowed under Section 8 (1) of the 1920 Act and that the disqualification imposed by Section 8 (1) was not removed by the fact that a month after the stoppage began Mr. Gillon was informed by his late employers that his services would not be required after the end of the stoppage.