§ 53. Mr. J. H. THOMASasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether the station master at Market Harborough, on the Midland Railway, refused to pay an employé his wages on Wednesday, 10th July, in consequence of the employé not having his insurance card to hand in; whether other railway companies have threatened to refuse to allow men to start work in consequence of the men's inability to produce their insurance cards; and, having regard to the fact that approved societies are experiencing considerable difficulty in obtaining cards from the Insurance Commissioners, especially in Wales, which accounts for men experiencing the aforementioned difficulty, will he take steps to see that the men are not punished or threatened in this manner?
§ Mr. MASTERMANIt is the duty of workmen to obtain cards, which they can do without difficulty from any post office, or from their approved societies. I have had no information of the action referred to, but any employer is, of course, within his rights in warning his employés that they will be required to produce cards when wages are paid. I am informed that approved societies in Wales have been supplied with cards without delay or difficulty. If my hon. Friend knows of any difficulty in obtaining insurance cards at any place, I would be glad if he would immediately communicate with me on the subject.
§ Mr. J. H. THOMASIs the right hon. Gentleman aware any applicant applying to the post office must fill in a form declaring that he has not made any approved society his society under the Act before he is given a card, and that therefore he has either to deliberately tell an untruth or he cannot get a card?
§ Mr. MASTERMANIf he is not a member of an approved society he can get a card from the post office, and if he is a Member of an approved society he will receive his card from that approved society.
§ Mr. J. H. THOMASSeeing that some of the approved societies experienced 394 some considerable difficulty a few days after the Act came into operation in getting cards and advised their members to go to the post office and sign the declaration, how can the men be held responsible?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI will consider whether there is anything in that complaint. I am informed all the approved societies are able to get cards by return of post.
Mr. WORTHINGTON-EVANSCould the right hon. Gentleman order the form the man has to sign at the post office to be withdrawn? Is there any reason for making a man declare he is not a member of an approved society?
§ Mr. MASTERMANAs a matter of fact, the overwhelming number of insured persons have already got their cards. I am informed by some employers that out of some 800 persons all but two or three have presented their cards to be stamped.
§ 54. Mr. J. H. THOMASasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether at a number of centres on the Midland and Great Western Railway systems the officials, when handing the employés the insurance cards, are insisting that they should sign same below the space fixed for the adhesion of the stamps; and, seeing that this is contrary to the intention of the Act and a violation of the instructions set out on the cards, and having regard to the fact that the men are threatened for their refusal to do other than comply with the Act, what action does he propose to take?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI have received no information about this matter. The insured person must not sign the card in the space mentioned until its expiry. If action such as that to which my hon. Friend refers was taken it must have been due to a misunderstanding, and if my hon. Friend will communicate any particulars to me I will see that the misunderstanding is removed.
56. MARQUESS Of TULLIBARDINEasked whether, under the provisions of the National Insurance Act, when the employer declines to take the responsibility of keeping the card, a man who lives sixteen miles up in the hills in Scotland is expected to walk down sixteen miles and back sixteen miles to get his card completed, or whether the card may be sent through the post when wages are paid; and, if so, who has to pay the extra penny involved in sending the card down?
§ Mr. MASTERMANContributions are payable at or before the date at which wages are paid. There is nothing to prevent the card being sent through the post, if necessary, and in that case the postage will be paid by the employer or employé, as they may arrange.
§ Mr. MASTERMANHe gets more than ninepence for fourpence. I think in this case probably the employer would be willing to pay the halfpenny postage.