§ Mr. PETOasked whether a charwoman who is a married woman may be exempt from the provisions of the National Insurance Bill as an outworker under the First Schedule (j)?
Mr. McKINNON WOODI do not see how a charwoman can be brought within any ordinary definition of an outworker. A charwoman is not liable to compulsory insurance unless she has regular employment.
§ Mr. PETOasked (1) whether a charwoman who works two days a week for 2s. a day and dinner will be reckoned as a person whose wages or other remuneration exceed 2s. a working day, and will, consequently, contribute 3d. on the first day she is employed, or as a person whose weekly earnings are 5s. (4s. in money plus two dinners, say 1s.), and whose average daily wages are consequently 10d., and whose employer will, consequently, have to contribute 5d., but who will not herself have to make any contribution; and (2) what contribution a charwoman who gets a day's work on Monday, but does not know whether she will get any other employment or not during the week, and whose rate of pay is 2s. and dinner, will have to make, and what contribution her employer will have to make and, if she gets one other or two other days' work during the week with different employers, how the contributions of the different employers are to be adjusted; and how they will be adjusted if she gets five days' further employment after Monday with a different employer to the one who employed her on the first day?
Mr. McKINNON WOODI will answer this and Question 36 together. All the points of detail involved in these questions are left to be determined in accordance with regulations made by the Insurance Commissioners.
Mr. WORTHINGTON-EVANSMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether the charwoman referred to in this question will be treated as an employed person, and therefore will be compulsorily insured?
Mr. McKINNON WOODI have dealt with that in my answer. I said she is not liable unless she has regular employment.
Mr. WORTHINGTON-EVANSI wish to know whether a charwoman would, in the opinion of the right hon. Gentleman, be in regular employment by being employed two days a week?
Mr. McKINNON WOODThe only charwoman mentioned in this question is the charwoman who is a married woman. [HON. MEMBERS: "No."] The hon. Members must give me notice. It is a very difficult question to answer at a moment's notice.