§ 51. Mr. Wilkesasked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that married mining recruits who at the time of entering the mine were living apart from their families owing to the housing shortage do not qualify for a lodging allowance; that the lodging allowance is only granted when the mining recruit has to leave his family to take the work in the mines; and whether, in order to prevent newly trained miners leaving the industry in order to rejoin their families, lodging allowances will be paid to all miners who have to maintain two homes and incur additional travelling expenses even though due to housing difficulties such conditions existed before entering the industry.
§ Mr. IsaacsLodging allowances are payable to a worker transferred to approved employment, such as coalmining, to assist him in meeting the additional expense, incurred as a result of the transfer, by living away from home. I am unable to modify the rule to enable allowances to be paid in cases where the transfer does not involve additional expenditure.