§ Sir J. Smedley Crookeasked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that notices have been issued by the Employment Exchanges in the city of Birmingham to all unemployed persons who are drawing unemployment benefit that, as from 25th July, such administrative changes will be made which will result in the immediate loss to the unemployed persons of one day's unemployment benefit; whether he will take such 2739W prompt action as will prevent these unemployed persons being subjected to this loss?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydOwing to the pressure on the accommodation at the Birmingham Employment Exchange it has been necessary to arrange to make payments of benefit on two days, Thursday and Friday, instead of on Friday only. Normally this would mean that those paid on Thursday would be paid for the week ending Tuesday instead of the week ending Wednesday, so that on their first attendance they would be one day short, this day being of course included in the next pay-week. Owing to the incidence of Bank Holiday, special steps have been taken to postpone this change until two weeks after the holiday, and payments up to Wednesday will therefore be made to those with current claims who are paid on Thursday in this week and next week.