§ Mr. W. Brownasked the Minister of Labour whether he has considered the 480W recommendation of the Select Committee on National Expenditure that, as a wartime measure, the woman worker insured against unemployment should be eligible for unemployment benefit for two months before confinement and for a suitable period thereafter; and whether he is now prepared to take steps to extend eligibility for unemployment benefit to all such workers for a period prior to, during, and after confinement, to be determined after consultation with the Minister of Health?
§ Mr. TomlinsonThis suggestion is mentioned in paragraph 48 of the Committee's Third Report, Session 1942–3; the Committee make no recommendation on it. Unemployment benefit in such circumstances would not be appropriate as the qualifications for the receipt of that particular benefit would not be fulfilled: a claimant to unemployment benefit must be available for and capable of work in addition to being unemployed.