§ Mr. SHEPHERDasked the Minister of Labour whether her attention has been drawn to the increasing numbers of the younger unemployed whose claim for benefit is refused on the ground that they are not normally in insurable employment, and of the older unemployed that they are not likely to continue to seek insurable employment; and whether in view of the intention with which the Act was amended last year, she can give any figures bearing upon this matter?
§ Miss BONDFIELDI am not aware of any such figures. The two grounds of disallowance which my hon. Friend quotes together make up one of the conditions for the receipt of transitional benefit. The decisions disallowing benefit which are in all cases given by courts of referees, are based on the condition as a whole and the statistics cannot therefore distinguish between its two parts.
Miss LEEasked the Minister of Labour if she is aware that Mr. David Glen, of Shotts, Lanarkshire, was dismissed from his work and disallowed unemployment benefit for six weeks because he refused to work overtime; and what steps she proposes to take to amend the law in this respect?
§ Miss BONDFIELDMy hon. Friend brought this case to my notice. The principles laid down by the Umpire for dealing with cases of this kind allow full -account to be taken of all the circumstances, including the urgency of the work, the practice of the trade and the circumstances of the individual worker. I do not think an attempt to lay down any rigid rule would be likely to be successful.