HC Deb 28 June 1932 vol 267 cc1648-50W
Captain CROOKSHANK

asked the Minister of Labour the nature of the representations he has made to the county borough of Rotherham with regard to the administration of transitional payment in that area?

Mr. LAW

asked the Minister of Labour what representations he has made to the county borough of Rotherham with regard to the administration of transitional payments in that area?

Sir H. BETTERTON

The following letter was addressed by my Department to this authority on 17th June:

Sir,

I am directed by the Minister of Labour to refer to his letter of 22nd March, in which your Council were notified that he would feel obliged to exercise his powers under Article 7 of the Unemployment Insurance (National Economy) (No. 2) Order, 1931, in their area unless they took the necessary steps to bring their practice in determining the need of applicants for transitional payments into conformity with the requirements of the Order.

I am to remind your Council that the administration of the Order in Rotherham had already been the subject of discussions between the Public Assistance Committee and the General Inspector of the Ministry of Health and your Council had been given full opportunity of revising their practice in the light of the facts brought to their notice before the Minister's letter of 22nd March was issued.

The matters raised in the letter of 22nd March were discussed at a meeting between officers of this Department and the Chairman of the Public Assistance Committee, the Public Assistance Officers and yourself on 5th April. At this meeting the illegality of the practice adopted was not disputed by the representatives of your Council, but it was agreed in the light of assurances given by them that a further opportunity should be afforded for the revision of the practice.

Notwithstanding the opportunities which have been given to your Council and the statements made in your letter of 12th May, the Minister has now received a further report from the General Inspector of the Ministry of Health dated 17th May which indicates continuing and serious departures from the requirements of the Order in Council, both in respect of the treatment of the individual cases to which the attention of your Council was drawn by the Department's letter of 22nd March, and of the treatment of new applications received since that date. The determinations which your Council have continued to give in many cases indicate a serious disregard of the statutory requirement that an applicant for transitional payments must prove that he is in need of assistance by way of such payments, and the Minister can now only assume that your Council do not intend to carry out their obligations under the Order in Council.

In these circumstances, the Minister is of opinion that your Council are not efficiently carrying out the duties imposed on them by the Order in Council. Therefore, in the discharge of his responsibility to Parliament for the proper observance of the law, he has no alternative but to exercise the powers conferred upon him by Article 7 of the Order in Council, and he proposes to appoint at an early date, which will be notified to you, a person to exercise and perform in the County Borough of Rotherham the powers and duties hitherto devolving on your Council under the Order.

I am, Sir,

Your obedient Servant,

(Sgd). W. EADY.

The Town Clerk,

Municipal Offices,

Rotherham.

The authority have asked that a deputation should be received, and arrangements have been made accordingly.