DISCUSSED IN HOUSE

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 56, 7 March 1923, Page 5

DISCUSSED IN HOUSE

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE.

LONDON, sth March. In the House of Commons, Sir Montagu Barlow, Minister of Labour, proposed an. amendment to the Unemployment Insurance Bill extending the benefits to October. He warned the Guardians, not to try to improve upon the present generous scale of benefits.; He said that in .many areas< Guardians' relief and the insurance benefit together were, equivalent to the standard rate for unskilled labour. ' ■

Mr. J. R. Clynes (Labour) complained that the measure was insufficient and disappointing. ■

Dr. T. J. Macnamara (Liberal) urged that public- utility schemes and Empire settlement schemes should be used to decrease unemployment.

Mr. A. Hayden (Labour) disapproved of insurance by industries, because industries with the lowest percentage of unemployment would contract out of- the scheme, leaving the residue of casual seasonal trades to bear the burden.

Mr. Sidney Webb '(Labour) said that 600,000 unemployed were not getting unemployment benefit, owing to the increasing stringency of the administration. There was growing dissatisfaction against the Government'on this account.

The Bill was read a second time without a division.