§ MR. LEWIS: (Flint Burghs)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether workmen in the employ of the Government will have a choice between the proposed alternative Government scheme to the Workmen's Compensation Act and the provisions of the Act itself; whether any difference will be made in regard to conditions of employment or otherwise between workmen who accept the alternative scheme and those who 646 prefer not to contract out of the Act, or whether their choice will be perfectly free; and whether the terms of the alternative Government scheme will be laid upon the Table of the House?
§ MR. HANBURYThe Registrar of Friendly Societies is at present ascertaining the views of Government workmen upon the proposed alternative scheme. If the result of his inquiry enables him to certify the scheme, its adoption will be a matter of contract between the Government and the workmen under section 3 of the Act. The answer to the second paragraph is in the negative. When the scheme is finally approved it will be laid before the House.
§ MR. LEWISHave the workmen a perfectly free choice between the provisions of the scheme and those of the Act?
§ MR. HANBURYI have not seen the Question before this. The reply supplied me is that the answer to the second paragraph is in the negative; as the paragraph contains two Questions, I cannot say which it refers to.