34. MARQUESS of TULLIBARDINEasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether a man who is an estate joiner engaged in building for half the year and an estate fencer for half the year will, under the provisions of the National Insurance Act, Part II., be considered a fencer or a joiner when unemployed; (35) whether an estate mason who quarries stone for a building part of the week and builds the house for the other part comes under Part II. of the National Insurance Act; and under which category does the same man come if he builds a dry dyke round the garden of the house with the building rubble? (36) Whether a man who is employed day about as a joiner on building operations and as an estate fencer during the same week is to be considered a carpenter or a fencer for the purposes of Part II. of the National Insurance Act?
The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. Robertson)I will deal with this and the other two questions of the Noble Lord together. The difficulty raised in the first question is an imaginary one, for a workman who has contributions to his credit is entitled when out of work to unemployment benefit within the limits laid down in the Act, whatever be the nature of his last employment. The first part of the second question is covered by the statement which I made in the House on Friday last. The last part of the question is one which should be referred to the Umpire. As regards the last question, if, as I understand, the workman referred to is regularly employed for at least half his time on building work he should, I think, be insured.