Mr. C. P. WILLIAMSasked the Minister of Labour what number of miners were unemployed in the Wrexham area during the months of December and January, respectively; the number of fresh miners now required through the Unemployment Exchange; and will he refrain from introducing additional labour into the district before the unemployed men are found work?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDThe insured persons classified as belonging to the coal mining industry recorded as unemployed at the Wrexham Employment Exchange at 17th December, 1928, number 229 as compared with 242 at 21st January, 1929. The number of definite vacancies for colliery workers at present unfilled by the Exchanges in the area is about 60, mostly for hauliers and fillers. There are no workers unemployed locally who are regarded by the colliery companies concerned as suitable to fill them, and the Exchanges in the normal course of their duties are endeavouring to obtain suitable applicants from other areas. I should add that this is not, of course, a case in which the Department are endeavouring to bring men in under the transfer policy.
Mr. WILLIAMSasked the Minister of Labour the number of men and women, respectively, who have been refused benefit at the Wrexham Employment Exchange for the last 12 weeks on the grounds of not genuinely seeking work; the number, respectively, who have appealed; and the number, respectively, who were successful on appeal?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDDuring the 14 weeks ended 14th January, 1929, 80 claims to benefit made by men and 30 by women at the Wrexham Employment Exchange were disallowed by insurance officers on the ground that the applicants were not genuinely seeking work. I am unable to state in how many of these cases appeals were lodged. During the same period the Court of Referees recommended for disallowance on the same ground 30 claims by men and four by 437W women on review after 78 days' benefit in the previous six months had been received.