§ Mr. CASSELasked whether any and, if so, what instructions have been issued to the lecturers on the National Insurance Act as to what answer they ought to give to the question whether the benefits mentioned in Acts other than additional benefits are guaranteed?
§ Mr. MASTERMANIt is among the duties of the official lecturers to explain that if a deficiency is disclosed at a periodical valuation of any society the members of that society will be called upon to prepare a scheme for extinguishing the deficiency, either by reducing the benefits or increasing the contributions of its members in accordance with the provisions of Section 38 of the Act, subject to the special provisions in Section 39 of the Act as to the partial pooling of risks in the case of small societies.
§ Sir PHILIP MAGNUSasked whether, for the use of Members of this House and others, he will supply from time to time lists of the times and places at which the official lectures explaining the National Insurance Act are given?
§ Mr. MASTERMANIt would be difficult to supply beforehand a list of all lectures and conferences; but I will gladly inform any Member of the House of the place and date of any public lectures which he would care to attend.
§ Sir PHILIP MAGNUSasked whether, having regard to the fact that nearly all persons, either as employers or employed, are interested in and affected by the National Insurance Act, he will arrange that any person giving his name and address may be admitted to any of the official lectures now being delivered by lecturers paid out of public funds?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe Commissioners will raise no objection to the admission of persons not members of the organisations concerned by the organisers of the conferences in question; but they are not prepared to compel such organisations, who have paid the expenses of the conference, to admit on every occasion all outsiders who apply, to the possible exclusion of their own members.
§ Sir P. MAGNUSIs it not a fact that these lectures are paid for out of public funds, and, if so, what objection can there be to admitting any member who furnishes his name and address.
§ Mr. MASTERMANI cannot imagine that there will be any objection to a member, but the arrangement for the conference is that while we send the lecturer the conference pays for the hall and the advertising of the meeting out of their own funds.
§ Mr. KINGWill the right hon. Gentleman arrange for one of these lectures to be given in one of the tea rooms of the House?