§ MR. SEELY (Lincoln)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether his attention has been called to the offers now being made by insurance companies of good standing to insure farmers against the Workmen's Compensation Act at rates which would amount to 1½d.an acre or less; and whether, under those circumstances, he would give facilities for the passing of a short Act this session extending the benefits of the Workmen's Compensation Act to agricultural labourers.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.I have no information as regards the matter of fact referred to by my hon. friend in the first part of his question, though I should imagine that the rates of insurance in the case of agricultural 1288 labourers ought to be very low indeed. As to the second part of his question, I cannot promise legislation in the course of the present session.
§ MAJOR RASCH (Essex, S.E.)Was not the reason given for the exclusion of the agricultural labourers that the Act was merely a tentative one?
§ (No answer was given.)