HC Deb 13 December 1911 vol 32 c2353
Mr. HARRY LAWSON

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state how far hawkers or costermongers hiring barrows for one or two days in the week, at a cost of say 3d. a day, are brought under the National Insurance Bill; how it will affect window-cleaners paid by the job; and how it will affect outside porters at railway stations not in the employment of a railway company but regularly employed and paid by the load?

Mr. McKINNON WOOD

The hon. Member is asking me to give general replies to questions which can only be decided in the light of the details of each case. He is of course aware that the general principle of the Insurance Bill is that persons employed under a contract of service, express or implied, are compulsorily insured, but that casual employment otherwise than for the purposes of the employer's trade or business is exempt. Applying these tests, it is improbable that any of the persons mentioned by the hon. Member would be compulsorily insured, but I can imagine circumstances in which the two latter classes might be liable.

Mr. HARRY LAWSON

Will the Insurance Commissioners settle on broad principles the exact classes that will come in?

Mr. McKINNON WOOD

They will undoubtedly do their best to do so; but, as the hon. Member knows, there are many cases on the fringe which are very difficult to settle by broad principles.