asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is her estimate of the total cost of paying unemployment benefit to employees on short-time on the basis of a five-day working week resulting in the payment of two-fifths of the weekly rate for each day not worked.

If benefit were paid to the temporarily stopped at one-fifth of the weekly rate for each day of unemployment instead of one-six, the cost might be of the order of £1 million a year; but such a rule would have consequential effects on the cost of other benefits which are paid at a daily rate of one-sixth of the weekly rate.