HC Deb 06 December 1939 vol 355 c672W
Mr. Glenvil Hall

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will take action to ensure that clerks who refuse an appointment to serve in the provinces as temporary clerks in the Ministry of Pensions at a wage of 58s. a week, shall not be deprived of statutory unemployment benefit; and if he will issue instructions to the exchanges that applicants be informed of the fact that they may be required to go to the provinces, so that married men from districts over 10 miles from Westminster may not spend time and money seeking employment that does not provide an economic wage?

Mr. E. Brown

The question whether unemployment benefit is payable in any individual case is a matter, not for me, but for the statutory authorities, namely, the Insurance Officer, Court of Referees, and, in certain circumstances, the Umpire. As regards the second part of the question, it is the practice of Employment Exchanges to give to applicants full particulars of vacancies as notified to the Department and I understand that this was done in the case of the vacancies to which the hon. Member refers.