§ Mr. LESLIE SCOTTasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will have the Insurance Bill now before the German Imperial Reichstag translated and laid upon the Table of this House at the earliest possible date, and as soon as it has passed the Reichstag have it translated and similarly published in its amended form; and whether he will, for the convenience of this House, have an epitome with explanatory memoranda also prepared and circulated of those parts of the Bill which deal more particularly with sickness and unemployment?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI will consider the suggestions for an epitome with explanatory memoranda when the German Bill is passed, but a complete translation 1216 would be of little value in proportion to the time and expense involved.
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANBefore that is provided, will the right hon. Gentleman see that the Members of this House are supplied with copies of his Bill? Will it be several days before hon. Members will be able to get a copy?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEWhat Bill?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANThe Insurance Bill—your Bill.
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEThe hon. Member is quite inaccurate.
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANIt was not circulated with the Votes this morning.
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI am assured it was circulated with the Votes this morning. [HON. MEMBERS: "No."] At any rate, I am certain that there was quite an exceptional number of copies placed in the Vote Office last night than has been usually the case in regard to any Bill that I know of.
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANWill the right hon. Gentleman take into consideration the fact that there were not enough copies for Members to receive by post this morning, and if there were any in the Vote Office last night they were taken away. There should have been enough reserved to circulate with the Votes this morning, rather than putting them in the Vote Office, as Members give them to the Press and other people.
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEThe hon. Gentleman gives me a fact which I was not aware of, namely, that copies were not circulated with the Votes. I am very sorry if that is the case. I think sufficient copies ought to have been reserved to be circulated with the Votes this morning, but I am perfectly certain of this, that there was enormous pressure, a large number of copies were printed, and a larger number of copies were left in the Vote Office than on any previous occasion. There were 700 copies left in the Vote Office last night.
§ Mr. WILLIAM THORNEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there are 1,200 Clauses to this Bill, and that it has been under consideration for the past twelve months?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEThat is so. It is still, I think, under consideration.
§ Mr. EVELYN CECILasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in giving effect to the national insurance scheme, it is his intention to safeguard the interests of existing insurance agents; and, if so, by what means he proposes to do so?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEIn so far as the agents of companies and societies which undertake the insurance of the working classes are engaged upon life insurance business, their interests will not be touched by the scheme. I believe that the number of paid agents employed on the forms of insurance dealt with by the Bill is insignificant, and it seems likely that the interests of any who are so employed would be substantially furthered by a measure extending so greatly the functions of voluntary associations for those purposes.
§ Sir HENRY CRAIKasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is prepared to consider, in connection with the National Insurance Bill, an arrangement by which easier terms of contribution would be admitted in the case of those who have given efficient service in the Territorial Army?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEIt is no doubt desirable to take every opportunity to encourage men to serve in the Territorial Army, but it is by no means clear that the hon. Member's proposal would be a suitable way to do so.