asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that men with long records of continuous employment, who have recently become unemployed, are placed in a position of hardship owing to the new regulations giving 180 days' benefit prior to transfer to the Unemployment Assistance Board and the means test; and what steps he is proposing to remedy this?

A regulation such as that referred to is at present unavoidable owing to the non-availability of the records necessary for applying the rules as they previously were. I should point out that the number of cases in which the period of benefit is increased by this regulation is almost certainly greater than that in which it is reduced and that no claimant can begin to be prejudiced by it till 180 days, or 30 weeks, have elapsed since the beginning of last September, or the date of his claim whichever is the later. I should add that the possibility of restoring the previous rules in whole or in part will continue to receive consideration.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the hardship on the good cases more than balances the advantage on the poorer class of case, and that whereas a man could get only 24 days' extension at the most previously, a good case has the possibility of an extension of six months?

I had that put to me by the Trades Union Congress and I thought it might be possible to work out a scheme without the records which were not available, but when we put it to them that possibly more people would lose than win the matter was not pursued. If there is any general desire to see a scheme worked out on that basis I shall be glad to look at it again.

Has the right hon. Gentleman taken any steps to get information as to how many have benefited?

I could not give a detailed answer, but the average over the previous years is certainly up, as I have stated in my answer.