§ Mr. Cooperasked the Minister of Labour whether he has yet reviewed the conditions of the Resettlement and Temporary Transfer Schemes; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodYes. I informed the House last night of two changes I am making in the Transfer Schemes. I am abolishing the requirement that a person must have been continuously unemployed for four weeks or longer before he can become eligible for the facilities under the Temporary Transfer Scheme. Assisted fares will be available for workers in receipt of lodging allowances under any of the Ministry's Transfer Schemes to help them to visit their homes from time to time. Workers will be expected to pay the first 7s. 6d. of the fare and will be entitled, subject to this, to three return fares home a year.
I am making two further changes. First, the benefits of the Transfer Schemes are to be extended to persons who are placed in employment by the Professional and Executive Register and the Technical and Scientific Register at a salary of £900 a year or less. Secondly, the Resettlement Scheme will be modified by no longer requiring workers in areas of high unemployment, to give a prior undertaking to resettle permanently in a new area and move their families there. At the end of six months, however, they will be required to say if they want to settle permanently in the area, or to return home if work can be found for them. In both cases, lodging allowances will continue for a further period of up to eighteen months provided that the circumstances remain unchanged but the full facilities of the Resettlement Scheme—including household removal—will only be available to those who decide to stay permanently in the new area.