§ Mr. Georgeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the number of unemployment review offices during 1975; how many unemployed supplementary benefit recipients were called for interview during 1975; how many stopped drawing benefit either before interivew or shortly afterwards; and what was the estimated cost of arranging such interviews as compared with the saving of public funds.
§ Mr. DeakinsAt 1st December 1975, 107; 164,533; 71,328. Information is not available to enable a comparison to be made between the cost of arranging interviews for unemployed claimants with unemployment review offices and the saving of public funds.
§ Mr. Georgeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many unemployed claimants in 1975 were (a) disqualified from unemployment benefit and (b) suffered a 40 per cent. reduction in supplementary entitlement as a result of leaving their last employment without just cause; and how many claimants were: (c) disqualified from unemploy- 286W ment benefit and (d) suffered a 40 per cent. reduction in supplementary entitlement because of their refusal to take suitable employment.
§ Mr. OrmeIn 1975, 388,000 unemployed persons were disqualified for receiving unemployment benefit for leaving employment voluntarily without just cause and 5,000 for refusing suitable employment without good cause. These figures do not include decisions given on review or appeal. Reductions in supplementary benefit cannot be separated in the same way, but at the time of the annual statistical inquiry in December 1975 26,000 claimants had their supplementary benefit reduced for these and other reasons.