§ Mr. E. J. Williamsasked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that a person is deprived of unemployment assistance allowance for a period of unemployment should be at work when the investigating officer calls to ascertain the particulars of his household; and whether 586W he will take steps to rectify this hardship on the unemployed by withdrawing Instruction 38 B 1 to unemployment assistance officers?
§ Mr. ButlerI assume the hon. Member refers to the provisions of Section 38 (1)(b) of the Unemployment Assistance Act, 1934, which requires an applicant, before he becomes eligible for an allowance, to prove that he has no work or only such part time or intermittent work as not to enable him to earn sufficient for his needs. The Board have no power to modify the provisions of the Statute, but if the hon. Member will furnish me with particulars of any case he has in mind, I will have inquiries made.