Mr Thomas Steele: As far as that is concerned, I would refer the hon. Member to the very full and comprehensive statement made by my right hon. Friend on 11th March.
Mr Thomas Steele: The total number of applicants for extended benefit in the counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire up to 11th April, 1947, was 17,741, of whom 11,464 were men, and 6,277 were women.
Mr Thomas Steele: The total number of applicants for extended unemployment benefit for the areas mentioned in the Question is 3,472, of which number 3,404 were admitted. With my hon. Friend's permission, I propose to circulate the figures for the individual areas in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
Mr Thomas Steele: Not without notice.
Mr Thomas Steele: In accordance with the Increase of Old. Age Pensions Regulations, 1946, Mr. and Mrs. McLean have been in receipt of old age pensions at the increased rates of 23s. 6d. and 13s. 6d. a week respectively, since 4th October, 1946. In addition, they are in receipt of a dependant's war pension of 5s. a week payable in respect of a brother. The total amount received by them by way of pension is,...
Mr Thomas Steele: The question whether there is title to the higher rate of pension. depends not on the pensioner's earnings, but on the question whether he can be treated as having retired from regular employment. Certain decisions of the Umpire, who is the final authority on this question, are set out in a paper published by the Stationery Office on the application of provisions relating to retirement,...
Mr Thomas Steele: As I pointed out, earnings are not taken into consideration at all in regard to decisions about retirement. Retirement itself is decided, and earnings come into the picture only after the person has retired. The regulations are based on the Act. One of the disturbing features of the type of case to which my hon. Friend has referred is that there are people who are working more than 12 hours a...
Mr Thomas Steele: We cover the position in regard to inducement to stay at work, in that portion of the new Act which has not yet come into operation. We do not wish to encourage employers to employ people for more than 12 hours a week at less than 20S.
Mr Thomas Steele: Every case is treated on its merits.
Mr Thomas Steele: Each case must be treated on its merits.
Mr Thomas Steele: The Contributory Pensions Acts provide that pensioners outside the United Kingdom who are in His Majesty's dominions as defined in the Acts can, on application to my Department, have their pensions paid to them direct or to an agent in this country nominated by them. The Acts provide that a pension cannot be paid where a pensioner is in a foreign country. The number of old age pensions in...
Mr Thomas Steele: That is not my information. I understand that none of the 219 cases in which payment is still to be made has been waiting more than four weeks.
Mr Thomas Steele: Such an arrangement does exist. A pensioner of this country can get his pension in those countries.
Mr Thomas Steele: That is another question.
Mr Thomas Steele: The course proposed by my hon. Friend would require legislation. But in cases such as he describes the child would normally be treated as forming part of the family of the person having care and custody unless the father is contributing at least 5s. a week to its maintenance. If my hon. Friend has a case in mind, perhaps he will let me have particulars and I will look into it.
Mr Thomas Steele: No, Sir. The terms of this disqualification have been re-enacted substantially without change after careful consideration by Parliament on a number of occasions since 1911. Its application in the individual case rests with independent statutory authorities. The body of case law built up by the Umpire's decisions makes it clear that the term "misconduct" is used in its industrial sense, and...
Mr Thomas Steele: I am rather surprised that the hon. Gentleman wishes to change more Acts passed in 1911, but the facts are that many Ministers have looked at this, and, in fact, it was also the subject of investigation by the Royal Commission on Unemployment Insurance in 1932, and it was found at that time—and it is still found—that no more suitable expression could be used. Regarding the particular case...
Mr Thomas Steele: Separate particulars for coal miners are not available, but for mining generally the number of certificates of disablement given by examining surgeons under the Workmen's Compensation Act for miners' nystagmus was 1,224 in 1938 and 1,297 in 1946. The corresponding figures for the scheduled disease dermatitis produced by dust or liquids are 254 and 1,702 respectively.
Mr Thomas Steele: There are no circumstances in which a refund can be made of contributions properly paid under the Unemployment Insurance Acts, but I have no knowledge of any case where a woman has been disqualified for the receipt of benefit for leaving employment in the circumstances described. If my hon. Friend will send me particulars of the case he has in mind, I will have further inquiries made.
Mr Thomas Steele: Of course, the Question has regard to unemployment payments, and I would be happy if the hon. Gentleman would send me these particulars so that I may have them investigated. I quite appreciate, of course, so far as concerns the statements made by my hon. Friend that it is not the fault of the women in these cases that they are out of industry.
