asked the Minister of Labour whether the number of insurance officers who are at present on the staff of the chief insurance officer at Kew; whether it is still the practice to refer all claims to benefit from England and Wales which are not allowed forthwith at the local insurance office to the chief insurance officer and his staff at Kew for allowance or disallowance; and whether the chief officer's decision is sought before cases of dispute are referred to the court of referees?

Since last March no insurance officer has had power to disallow claims to benefit, save in trade dispute cases which are referred to the Headquarters Insurance Officer. In all other cases, if the local insurance officer cannot allow a claim it is referred to a local court of referees for decision. There are now 27 insurance officers at headquarters.

Have there been any complaints as to the delay in the examination of these recent claims?

Not recently, but there has been some delay on account of the change over.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of men and women, respectively, on the unemployment registers in the Sheffield area who have received written directions under the provisions of the Unemployment Insurance (No. 2) Act, 1930, from officers of the Employment Exchanges with a view to assisting them to find suitable employment; and what percentage of those receiving unemployment benefit in that area this number represents?

I regret that statistics giving the information desired are not available.

asked the Minister of Labour if she will state the figure of unemployment in Germany for each month since June, 1929; and whether she can state how many at each date were engaged in agricultural or other work which in this country is not in an industry insured against un-employment?

As the reply contains a large number of figures I propose, with the right hon. Member's permission, to circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Will the right hon. Lady consider giving similar information approximately with regard to the United States?

I shall be glad to consider that suggestion.

asked the Minister of Labour the amount of the debt upon the Unemployment Fund

The debt of the Unemployment Fund on the 24th May, 1930, was £41,870,000. The average cost per week of 10,000 persons on the register is about £9,700. The live register balancing point was estimated at 1,240,000 in March on the basis of the information then available. This figure, however, is dependent on the number of persons drawing transitional benefit, the cost of which is borne by the Exchequer, and sufficient data are not yet available to enable me to say what the true figure should be.

Will a Supplementary Estimate of any kind be necessary in the future?

Not at present, but of course I want to increase the amount as soon as I am able.

asked the Minister of Labour the present rate of interest charged on the debt of the Unemployment Insurance Fund?

The average rate of interest charged on the debt of the Unemployment Fund is about 4.9 per cent. On sums borrowed during the present month the rate is 4¾ per cent.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of cases in Lancaster and Morecambe, respectively, which, since the passing of the Unemployment (No. 2) Act, have been referred to the referees; how many of such cases have been decided in favour of the appellants; and in how many cases there has been a further appeal to the umpire under conditions A, B and C (1 and 2) of Section 5 of the Act, respectively?

Between 13th March and 12th May, 1930, 225 applications for unemployment benefit were considered by the court of referees for the Lancaster and Morecambe district, which includes Lancaster, Bentham, Carnforth, Galgates and Morecambe. Of these 97 were allowed, 121 were disallowed and seven were adjourned. I regret that statistics are not available showing the number of cases in which an appeal to the umpire was made.

asked the Minister of Labour the latest figures of unemployment for that part of England, not Wales, south of a line drawn from Gloucester to King's Lynn; what percentage these figures represent in the area concerned; and how it compares both in total and percentage with the corresponding period of last year?

At 19th May, 1930, the number of persons on the registers of Employment Exchanges in the London, South-Eastern and South-Western Divisions of England, which include approximately the area referred to in the question, was 301,262 or 7.6 per cent. of the total insured population in those Divisions. The corresponding figures for 27th May, 1929, were 197,675 and 5.2 per cent. respectively.

I suppose that the right hon. Lady has no means of including agricultural labourers who are out of work?

Only such as register at the Exchanges as unemployed.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons in receipt of out-door relief or institutional treatment at 13th March who have been transferred to employment insurance and are in receipt of unemployment benefit or maintaining registration?

Precise statistics on this point are not available, but it is estimated provisionally that at the end of April, 1930, there had been a reduction of approximately 50,000, exclusive of dependants, in the number of persons in receipt of out-door relief in Great Britain, through the operation of the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1930.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of men and women, respectively, whose claims for unemployment benefit were refused on the not normally in insurable employment disqualification for each of the months from July, 1929, to March, 1930?

As the reply includes a number of figures, I will, if I may, circulate a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Minister of Labour the latest available figures of unemployment for the borough of Islington; what percentage these represent of registered workers; and if these figures and this percentage show a decline or otherwise on the corresponding period of last year?

At 12th May, 1930, there were 8,606 persons resident in the Metropolitan borough of Islington on the registers of Employment Exchanges, representing 6.7 per cent. of the insured population of that borough. The corresponding figures for 13th May, 1929, were 5,349 and 4.3 per cent. respectively.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the number of unemployed now registered at the Slough Employment Exchange; what was the number on the corresponding date last year; and how many workers have been transferred in the interval from depressed areas?

At 19th May, 1930, the number of persons on the registers of the Slough Employment Exchange exclusive of men from depressed areas attending Slough training centre was 537, as compared with 237 at 27th May, 1929. Between these dates, 452 persons have been transferred through the Exchanges from depressed areas to employment in the area of the Slough Exchange.

In view of that reply, will the Minister of Labour consider the possibility of stopping these transfers until local unemployment has fallen?

The situation is being very carefully watched, and, as a matter of fact, the transfers are being stopped.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of unemployed among British crews of British-owned ships of the mercantile marine for the month ended 30th April last; and the number for the corresponding month of 1929?

Separate statistics are not available regarding the numbers unemployed among British crews of British-owned ships, but at 28th April, 1930, there were 23,437 seamen (British and foreign) on the registers of Employment Exchanges in Great Britain as compared with 16,223 at 22nd April, 1929.

In view of the large proportion of foreign seamen employed, and the possibility of them displacing British seamen, will the right hon. Lady inquire into that question?

I will certainly inquire into that matter.

Does the Department take any special steps in the case of British seamen who are entitled to benefit becoming unemployed to replace them on British ships?

Perhaps the hon. Member will give me notice of that question.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the number of aliens in Great Britain who are at present in receipt of unemployment pay?

I regret that statistics showing the number of aliens in receipt of unemployment benefit are not available.

asked the Minister of Labour whether she is aware that the Lancashire County Council are constructing a new by-pass road in the urban district of Blackrod; that a grant towards the cost of the work is being made by the Unemployment Grants Committee; that the balance of the expenditure will be spread over the administrative county; that men resident in Adlington are not being allowed to recruit for work on the scheme, although one section of the work is within a mile of Adlington, whilst men are being brought from Westhoughton, which is several miles away; and whether, in view of the fact that Adlington is classified as a distressed area, she will issue instructions that men from that district may be recruited for work on this scheme?

I assume that the question refers to the Blackrod By-pass Scheme promoted by the Lancashire County Council with a grant from the Ministry of Transport. I am in communication with the local authority with a view to the allocation of a proportion of future vacancies on this scheme for Adlington men.

asked the Minister of Labour if she is aware that at the Glasgow South Side Exchange last week applicants were paid one day less in benefit than was due; that no notice was given of any change in practice; that this loss of income, varying from 2s. 10d. to 4s., has caused hardship to persons unemployed.; and if she will take steps to have the money refunded?

There are two pay-days at this Exchange, Thursday and Friday. It was necessary recently to make certain rearrangements as a result of which certain claimants, previously paid on Friday, were paid a day earlier, on Thursday, but on the first pay-day after the change drew one day less. They will, of course, suffer no ultimate loss and were informed of the proposed change in the previous week.

Does the Minister of Labour consider it is fair to deduct a day from the pay, and is it not a cruel hardship upon those people?

No, it was just an adjustment of the week from the pay day on Friday to the pay day on Thursday.

Is the right hon. Lady aware of the great hardship caused, and what is the reason why this pay was deducted, seeing that they are all paid up to Wednesday; and why could they not have been paid a week in full, making it a Saturday payment instead of inflicting the fearful hardship of this disallowance?

Those whose pay day was on Thursday are paid up to Tuesday night.

Why not pay them for the full week? Is there any reason why 5s. should be deducted from the income of these poor people?

It must be clear to the hon. Member that it is very largely a question of convenience in dealing with the applicants, and I think it is better, instead of letting it go on from week to week, to do it at the moment.

asked the Minister of Labour if when the present chairmen of the Glasgow courts of referees were reappointed, she consulted before doing so any local opinion; if so, what was the nature of such opinion; if any steps were taken to consult trade union opinion of any kind; and if she can state its nature?

These were not new appointments. There was no ground on which I felt justified in departing from the practice of re-appointment and therefore no consultation of the kind mentioned took place.

Does the Minister of Labour not consider that she ought to consult local opinion as to whether the appointments which were being continued were satisfactory or not? May I take it from the reply of the right hon. Lady that no effort is made to find out whether there are suitable local people who can carry out these duties properly and whether local opinion is satisfied that these duties are being properly carried out?

Wherever there is reason to suppose that the duties are not being carried out satisfactorily, the matter will certainly be investigated.

Is the right hon. Lady not aware that large sections of opinion have been constantly dissatisfied with those appointments, and even men holding political posts have been re-appointed?

Will the Minister of Labour agree to examine specifically the case of the chairman of the court of referees in my Division who displays political bias in his judgment.

I am quite prepared to examine any complaints.

Is the right hon. Lady aware that, according to her own statement, people with strong political views are not supposed to have these appointments, and yet she is continually re-appointing people with strong political views?

Perhaps the hon. Member will give me evidence of that.

I have already given the evidence.

On a point of Order, Mr. Speaker. May I ask whether this badgering of the right hon. Lady by her alleged supporters is in order?

No point of order arises on that question.

asked the Minister of Labour if she is aware that a very large proportion of claims have been heard by incomplete courts of referees at Bridgeton Exchange, Glasgow; why this has been the case; and whether there has been any improvement in this respect recently?

I am aware that a large proportion of cases have been heard by incomplete courts of referees at Bridgeton, Glasgow. This is due to the fact that representatives of employers and workpeople have failed to attend when summoned. I am considering what steps I can take to effect an improvement.

Will the right hon. Lady, in considering what steps she can take to effect an improvement, also take steps to have the cases of those who have been disqualified re-heard?

I cannot do that if the insured person has chosen to be heard by a single member of the court. If they do not want to be heard by a single member, they are fully entitled to ask for a full court.

Is the whole court summoned in each case?

Yes, certainly.

Is the right hon. Lady aware that she promised me a month or six weeks ago to inquire into this matter, and to try to get an improvement; and is she also aware that there is great local discontent in connection with this matter?

I shall be very glad indeed if the matter can be taken up with the local people who are responsible.

Will the right hon. Lady ask the hon. Member to bring pressure to bear on his local workers' representatives to do their duty in this matter?

Did not these failures to attend occur more on the part of the employers than of the workmen?

I will have that point inquired into.

asked the Minister of Labour the reason that the refusals of benefit to applicants in Glasgow under the new Act are higher than the average of other parts of Britain; if she has made any inquiry into this state of affairs; if she can state the reason; and, if not, does she intend taking any steps to see that refusals of benefit in Glasgow are no higher than in other parts?

It is not possible, I am afraid, to draw any conclusion from the gross number of disallowances, or even this number as compared with the gross number of claims. I have, however, had a comparison made between the numbers of claims estimated to have been made as a result of the passing of the new Act and of the disallowances under the two special conditions now applying to transitional benefit. For

asked the Minister of Labour the number of agricultural workers who have given in their names to the Employment Exchanges of Skegness, Alford (including Spilsby), and Horncastle as desiring work?

At 28th April, 1930, there were 14 agricultural labourers on the Registers of the Horncastle Employment Exchange, together with one at Skegness and one at Mablethorpe (the Local Office for Alford).

asked the Minister of Labour the number of unemployed registered at the Lincoln and Gainsborough Employment Exchanges at the end of April in the years 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, and 1930, respectively?

asked the Minister of Labour the number of men and women, respectively, whose claims for unemployment benefit have been heard and the number refused at Bridgeton Exchange and Parkhead Exchange, Glasgow, since the coming into operation of the new Act to the latest available date and the corresponding figures for Birmingham, Newcastle and Leeds?

As the reply includes a number of figures, I will, if I may, circulate a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

As the reply includes a Table of figures, I will, if I may, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of unemployed miners on the register in the County of Durham at the end of April, 1930, and the corresponding figures for April, 1929?

The number of insured persons aged 16 to 64 classified as belonging to the coal-mining industry and recorded as unemployed in the County of Durham was 18,223 at 28th April, 1930, as compared with 26,147 at 22nd April, 1929.

Is the right hon. Lady aware of the pitiable condition of many unemployed miners in the County of Durham, especially in South-West Durham?

That does not arise out of this question.

asked the Minister of Labour how many women are on the unemployed register in Durham County; whether there has been an increase in the last six months; and, if so, what are the figures?

At 12th May, 1930, there were 5,884 women on the registers of Employment Exchanges in County Durham, as compared with 4,244 at 11th November, 1929.

Is the right hon. Lady aware of the suspension of the Lord Mayor's Fund, which provided assistance in such cases?

That has no relevance to the question on the Paper.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in the event of persons being referred by the Juvenile Courts for psycho-therapeutic treatment, any contribution is made from public funds towards the cost?

If the hon. Member has in mind treatment as distinct from observation and examination, the answer is in the negative.

Does the Home Office possess any power under any Act to grant such maintenance or assistance?

Not so far as I know.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that there are only two or three clinics in the whole of the British Isles which are able to give concentrated psycho-therapeutic treatment to persons with functional nervous disorders; that one clinic in London dealing with this type of patient on these lines has a waiting list of between two and three hundred persons; and what action he proposes to take in the matter?

Treatment of the special type which my right hon. Friend understands the hon. Member to have in mind is available in the normal course for suitable cases at many institutions for the treatment of mental disorder, and the Mental Treatment Bill will facilitate further provision on these lines. My right hon. Friend had not previously been informed of the difficulty indicated in the second part of the question.

May I convey to the right hon. Gentleman some information in regard to this matter?

asked the Minister of Health if he will allow the Ministry's officials during the coming summer to watch carefully cases of ptomaine and food poisoning and, if they find them seriously on the increase, to inquire whether such are due to the absence of preservatives in food which is now enforced?

It has been the practice of my Department for some years past to inquire into the causes of all food poisoning outbreaks of special interest and this practice will be continued.

Will the hon. Lady inquire of the medical profession, whether there is not a large increase of these cases of ptomaine poisoning?

I have no reason to believe that that is so, but I will look into the matter and communicate with the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the recent death of a child at Grimsby as a result of eating food made from imported machine-skimmed condensed milk, he will consider banning the import of such milk in the interests of public health?

asked the Minister of Health if his attention has been called to cases of illness and death of children caused by skimmed milk or tinned milk imported from foreign countries; and if he will consider prohibiting the importation of such milk?

My right hon. Friend has made inquiries into the case to which he assumes the hon. Member for the City of Chester (Sir C. Cayzer) refers. He is not aware of any similar case. In that case the medical witness at the inquest stated that the child, who had not received medical attention, died from gastro-enteritis which might have been set up by dirty food conditions. It was also stated that, though the child appeared to be well nourished, his diet was injudicious and had included a meal of corned beef and suet pudding. The machine-skimmed milk was not made up as a drink but had been used for making milk puddings. My right hon. Friend sees no reason from a consideration of the circumstances of this case for prohibiting the importation of condensed machine-skimmed milk.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary say how many more inquests will have to take place before the Government appreciate the need for drastic action in this matter?

The gist of the answer was that it does not appear in the circumstances of this case that any purpose will be served by dealing with machine-skimmed condensed milk. It does not appear that that substance was responsible for the most lamentable death of this child.

My question deals with the question of tinned milk which was given. Can the hon. Lady give me an assurance that no tinned milk is used? My information is that tinned milk was given.

I have no evidence at present with regard to tinned milk.

Has the hon. Lady read the depositions taken at the inquest in which it was said that tinned milk was given?

Would not all these cases of death by poisoning in this way be prevented if local authorities themselves undertook the food supply?

asked the Minister of Health in how many cases local authorities have made by-laws under the Smoke Abatement Act, 1926; and whether he has in any case exercised his compulsory powers respecting the making of by-laws?

By-laws under Section 2 of the Act of 1926 have been made by 112 local authorities. My right hon. Friend has not thought it necessary in any case to exercise the power of requiring these by-laws to be made.

Has the hon. Lady considered the fact that by-laws have been made on this question in America and other countries with great advantage?

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether any decision has been reached with regard to continuing the payment of blind pensions after the age of 70 to those persons who become eligible for old age pensions at the age of 65 under the contributory scheme and who now have to forfeit their blind pensions on attaining the age of 70?

This matter is under consideration, but no decision has yet been reached.

If I put down a question in a fortnight's time—after the Recess—will the hon. Gentleman be in a position then to give me an answer?

I doubt whether any decision will have been reached as early as that.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he can state the attitude of the Government towards the recommendations of the Howarth Committee on Maintenance Allowances for Children?

I propose to deal with this subject in my speech on the Second Reading of the Education Bill this afternoon.

asked the President of the Board of Education what authority will decide as to the need of the parent in connection with the proposed payment of maintenance allowances under the Education Bill; and whether there will be any appeal from the decision of such authority?

The need of the parent will be a matter for the decision of the Local Education Authority in accordance with the regulations to be issued by the Board of Education, and so long as the authority fulfils the requirements of the regulations no question of appeal will arise.

Can the right hon. Gentleman give an indication of these recommendations?

As I have said, I shall say something about the matter this afternoon.

Would it not be better to abolish the means test altogether?

I should like to ask the Minister of Education who instituted the idea of the means test?

asked the President of the Board of Education by whom will the maintenance allowances proposed under the Education Bill be paid to the parents of the children attending school?

The report of the Committee on Maintenance Allowances contained several suggestions as to the way in which such allowances might be paid. It would be for a particular authority to choose which of the methods it would adopt for its area.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he has received a resolution from the Berkshire County Council pointing out the difficulties of carrying out his education proposals by 1931 and the heavy burden on the rates that they involve; and whether he will modify his proposals to meet their case?

I have received a resolution to this effect from the Berkshire County Council, but I think there would be serious objections to any differentiation between areas in regard to the date for raising the school leaving age.

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that his proposals will involve an increase of more than 9d. in the £ on the rates? How can they possibly bear such a burden?

Of course, the raising of the age is going to cost money, but I believe the country is ready for it.

Does the right hon. Baronet realise that there is a difference between counties and towns in the matter?

The counties are making very great preparations, and reorganisation is going on very well in most of the counties.

asked the President of the Board of Education the amount paid in fees for secondary education and the cost that would be involved in making such education free to all children at present in secondary schools?

It is estimated that in all the grant-aided secondary schools in England and Wales the amount received in tuition fees from parents and guardians is, approximately, £3,000,000 per anum. If tuition fees were abolished in all such schools, this amount would need to be replaced in the main from public funds.

asked the President of the Board of Education the number and percentage of secondary school children in England and Wales who receive free education?

On 31st March, 1929, the number of free pupils in grant-aided secondary schools in England and Wales was 169,254, being 43.7 per cent. of the total number of pupils in such schools.