§ Mr. KELLYasked the Minister of Labour how many insurance officers are now engaged on claims for unemployment insurance benefit; and is it still the practice to refer to Kew all cases of disputed benefit?
§ Mr. LAWSONThe chief insurance officer at Kew is assisted by 57 insurance officers. In addition there is at least one local insurance officer at each Employment Exchange and branch employment office. Local insurance officers have no power to disallow benefit except in one class of case, namely, where the number of contributions paid is insufficient to satisfy Section 14 (2) (a) of the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1927. In the event of the record of contributions being disputed the case is referred to the chief insurance officer. The answer to the second part of the question is therefore in the affirmative.