§ Mr. DOUGLAS HALLasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give an undertaking that all appointments made in connection with the Bill to provide national insurance against sickness and unemployment shall be given to persons who have passed a Civil Service examination?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEIt would be premature to make any arrangements at 847 the present time. But I may say that I should be very sorry to give any pledge which would preclude me from utilising, if need be, the experience and special aptitudes of medical men or of persons outside the Government service who have been engaged upon friendly society and insurance work.
§ Colonel YATEMay I ask whether due consideration will be given to the servants at present employed by insurance companies?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEThat is the purport of my answer. It would be a very great mistake in appointing these officers not to consider those who have a lifelong experience of insurance work.
§ Mr. LEACHasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he proposes, in connection with his scheme of invalidity insurance, to make any provision if or widows who are left with young children for whom no provision has been made by the husband and father?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI regret that it has not been found possible to include any such provision in the scheme.
§ Mr. LEACHasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will in his scheme of invalidity insurance in some way include those who through blindness and other physical and mental defects can never earn their own living?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEA person who has paid the number of contributions entitling him to disablement benefit, and who through blindness becomes unfit to provide his own maintenance will, of course, get the benefit of the Insurance scheme, unless entitled to an allowance under the Workmen's Compensation Act or some similar provision. I fear it would be impossible consistently with the contributory character of the scheme to include persons who, through defects contracted in childhood, never become self-supporting.
Mr. PIKE PEASEasked what is the estimated cost to the State for the National Insurance Bill for the year 1913; and what is the estimated total reduction in the cost of Poor Law administration for the same period?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEThe estimated cost for the year 1913–14 is about £4,100,000. The effect on Poor Law expenditure, especially when added to the saving attribut- 848 able to old age pensions is bound to be very considerable, but it is very difficult to estimate in figures. I hope, however, to be able to give a well considered estimate later on.
§ Mr. REMNANTCan the right hon. Gentleman say when the Bill is likely to be circulated?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI think it will be circulated to-morrow.
§ Mr. RAMSAY MACDONALDasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he could lay upon the Table, for the guidance and information of Members, a memorandum on the actuarial calculations which determined the scales of payments proposed in the Industrial Insurance Bill in respect both to the invalidity and sickness and unemployment sections of the Bill?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEFull information on this subject will be laid before the House.
§ Mr. ARTHUR HENDERSONWill the, information to be laid before the House include points other than those referred to in this question?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEWhat points?
§ Mr. ARTHUR HENDERSONA few of the many points which could not be fully explained in the right hon. Gentleman's speech. Will the right hon. Gentleman issue a full memorandum with regard to both parts of the Bill before the Second Reading?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI hope to lay on the Table of the House the actuary's report in time to enable it to be carefully considered before the Second Reading. I shall also lay on the Table of the House papers dealing with the German scheme, and, I think, a paper of the replies received from a number of German employers as to the way in which the insurance scheme has worked in their country in the interests of the employers.