§ Mr. J. MacLeodasked the Minister of Labour the amount of unemployment benefit paid to individuals treated by his Department as immobile labour in the seven crofter counties, and in Ross and Cromarty in particular; and what radius is treated by his Department as immobile.
§ Mr. WatkinsonSeparate registers are not maintained of persons who are regarded as available for work only within daily travelling distance of their homes, and to obtain the information for which my hon. Friend asks would entail a disproportionate expenditure of staff time.
The distance which a worker would be expected to travel daily to employment varies with the transport facilities available.
§ Mr. J. MacLeodasked the Minister of National Insurance what sums, respectively, are paid out in sickness benefit in 4W each of the seven Crofter counties; and in Ross and Cromarty in particular.
§ Mr. TurtonI regret that this information is not available.
§ Mr. J. MacLeodasked the Minister of Labour what sums are paid out, respectively, in National Assistance and unemployment benefit in each of the seven Crofter counties; and in Ross and Cromarty in particular.
§ Mr. TurtonI have been asked to reply. The following table gives the approximate amounts paid out during February, 1953:
County National Assistance Unemployment Benefit £ £ Argyll 11,800 10,600 Orkney 2,400 500 Zetland 4,400 8,800 Sutherland and Caithness* 8,800 7,500 Ross and Cromarty 30,300 11,700 National Assistance area includes Islands portion of Inverness Inverness 13,000 7,000 National Assistance includes a small part of Nairn TOTAL 70,700 46,100 * Separate figures for these two counties are not available.