Mr. Rostron Duckworthasked the Minister of Labour whether, when moving female assistants under the Registration of Employment Order, he will allow divisional employment officers some discretion where the taking of a person to another form of national work will result in the closing down of a small business; and whether employment officers are instructed that the calling up of a last employee, or proprietor, of a small business should only be carried out as a last resort?
§ Mr. BevinI would refer my hon. Friend to my replies to the hon. Member1176W for Holland with Boston (Mr. Butcher) on 17th December, and to the hon. and gallant Member for Accrington (Major Procter) on 28th January. Before persons of either sex employed in a small business are withdrawn from that business, they will be given an opportunity of representing that their withdrawal would result in exceptional hardship to them or to their employers, and such representations will be considered by an officer of the Ministry or, on appeal, by a local appeal board. A similar opportunity will be given to a person running his own business.