HC Deb 30 June 1893 vol 14 cc543-4
MR. NEWDIGATE (Warwickshire, Nuneaton)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that at the present time the authorities of the London and North Western Railway Company contribute upwards of £8,000 per annum to a Mutual Benefit Society, upwards of £17,000 per annum to the Mutual Insurance Fund, and upwards of £7,000 per annum to the Locomotive Insurance Fund, the two latter sums being given annually in consideration of the employés contracting out of the Employers' Liability Act; whether he is aware that it is the intention of the authorities of the London and North Western Railway Company to withdraw these two sums if the Employers' Liability Act, as proposed, becomes law, in which case the employés of the London and North Western Railway Company would sustain an annual loss to their benevolent funds of upwards of £20,000; whether he is aware that, unlike the provisions of the proposed Employers' Liability Act, the employés of the London and North Western Railway Company receive a liberal compensation for injuries sustained during their employment, even when caused by their own default, which advantage they would lose were the proposed Act to become law and to be applied to them; whether he is aware that in a Circular Letter issued from the London and North Western Railway Insurance Society, Members' Executive Committee Office, Euston Station, on 12th June, 1893, it was alleged that wrong im- pressions were conveyed throughout the Debate in Committee on the Employers' Liability Bill; and whether he will consider the advisability of complying with the desire of the employés of the London and North Western Railway Company to be allowed to contract out of this Bill and to remain in their present position?

THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. H. GLADSTONE, Leeds, W.)

All the circumstances connected with these Societies have been fully considered, and were brought before the Grand Committee, and the Secretary of State has nothing to add to the answer given by him yesterday to the hon. Member for South Belfast.

MR. NEWDIGATE

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that this question was asked at the instigation of the Executive Committee appointed by the men employed by the London and North Western Railway Company to watch their interests?

MR. H. GLADSTONE

I have no information as to that.