§ Sir R. ASKEasked the Minister of Labour the number of claims for benefit at the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Employment Exchanges which have been disallowed on the ground that the applicants were not normally in insurable employment in the period 1st January to 1st June in the years 1928, 1929 and 1930, respectively?
§ Miss BONDFIELDStatistics of the disallowance of claims to benefit made at individual Employment Exchanges are not now available in respect of dates prior to 19th April, 1928. The figures for the periods in question since that date, so far as available, are as follow:
Disallowance on the ground "not normally insurable and will not normally seek to obtain a livelihood by means of insurable employment" in respect of claims to benefit made at Employment Exchanges in the Newcastle-on-Tyne area (including Newcastle-on-Tyne, Hexham, Elswick, Heaton and Newburn).
Period. Number of claims disallowed. 19th April, 1928— 11th June, 1928 65 15th January, 1929— 10th June, 1929 79 14th January, 1930— 12th March, 1930 Separate figures not available.* 13th March, 1930— 9th June, 1930 2,007 * The total number of disallowances on the grounds "not normally insurable" and "not a reasonable period of insurable employment during the previous two years" was 341. NOTE.—During the period 15th January, 1929, to 12th March, 1930, there were on the registers of these exchanges an aver- 659W age of 3,920 persons whose claims had been disallowed under transitional conditions as compared with an average of 680 in the period 13th March to 9th June, 1930.
§ Mr. LEESasked the Minister of Labour whether she is aware that certain claimants for unemployment benefit in the town of Belper are summoned to appear before the board of referees at Belper, and, if their claims are admitted, they are then summoned to go to another board of referees at Derby; and if she will state the reason for this procedure?
§ Miss BONDFIELDI am having inquiry made, and will communicate with my hon. Friend.