HC Deb 21 December 1938 vol 342 cc2897-8W
Sir J. Smedley Crooke

asked the Minister of Labour how many ex-service men in receipt of disability pensions are registered at Employment Exchanges as unemployed; whether he will state the number of such men in receipt of unemployment insurance benefit, unemployment assistance, and the number with no entitlements to benefit or assistance; the number of such men who have been unemployed for 12 months or longer; and the number of men ruled unable to follow their usual occupations under ordinary industrial conditions?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

At 3rd October, 1938, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 30,204 unemployed disabled ex-service men in receipt of disability pensions on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Great Britain. Of these 28,439 were applicants for unemployment insurance benefit or unemployment assistance allowances and 1,765 had no application for benefit or allowances. Figures are not available showing separately the number of applicants for benefit and allowances respectively. The total of 30,204 included 12,798 persons who were considered to be fit for light work only and 315 whose disability rendered it difficult for them to be employed under ordinary industrial or com- mercial conditions, except in some institution specially designed for ex-service men suffering from very severe occupational disability. An analysis according to duration of unemployment is not available for any date since 3rd January, 1938, when out of a total of 31,812 unemployed disabled ex-service men applying for benefit or allowances, 11,192 had been on the register for 12 months or more.