§ Mr. CLANCYasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether any Returns have been obtained, as respects Ireland only, regarding the rates of sickness and disablement in urban and rural districts, respectively, for the purposes of the National Insurance Bill; if so, whether they will be laid upon the Table of the House; and, if not, whether such Returns will e obtained and laid upon the Table before the Committee stage of the Bill is taken; and (2) whether any actuarial calculations have been made, as respects Ireland only, for the purposes of the National Insurance Bill; if so, whether they will be laid upon the Table of the House; and, if not, whether he will cause such calculations to be made, based on the actual rates of sickness, disablement, and unemployment in Ireland, and to be laid upon the Table of the House before the Committee stage of the Bill is taken?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEWith regard to Part I. of the Bill, the proportion of the Irish population already insured against sickness is so small and so confined to purely industrial areas that it is to be 1059 feared that the data available for the calculations indicated by the hon. Member would be of little value. So far as Part II. is concerned, there is no reason to suppose that the unemployed rates in the insured trades would, on the whole, differ seriously from those applicable to the United Kingdom.