§ Mr. CLYNESasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his statements at a meeting of the Advisory Committee, whether the fact of contribution cards under the National Insurance Act being supplied to workmen by either a trade union as his approved society or by the employer in a case where the card is not so supplied, will readily enable employers to ascertain whether particular workmen are in a union or not; and, as this is deemed to be very undesirable, can he take steps to have all cards supplied through one source?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Masterman)Cards of exactly similar character will be supplied to insured persons through the Post Office, trade unions, or other approved societies. If the insured person does not produce his card his employer will stamp an emergency card, but there will be nothing on that or any other card to distinguish the society or union to which the employé 1114 belongs, or, in future, when the class of deposit contributors is constituted, whether he belongs to a society or is a deposit contributor.
§ Mr. CLYNESIs it not a fact that when the employer supplies a card to a man that he will know whether or not the man is in a trade union?
§ Mr. MASTERMANNo, not in the least. If the employé for any reason has not got his card he will be given an emergency card. He may or may not be a member of a trade union or friendly society, but he will have this card. Cards will be freely supplied to members of societies.
§ Mr. CLYNESMay I put the question in another form. If an employé has his card from his trade union, and another workman in the same employ does not possess a card, does not that allow the employer to discover who is in the trade union and who is not?
§ Mr. MASTERMANNo; cards will be freely supplied to approved societies, secretaries and others, and exactly similar cards will be obtainable by insured persons.
§ Mr. JOHN WARDIs it not the fact that so far as the employer is concerned he will not know whether the man has got his card from a trade union or anywhere else?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThat is so.
§ Mr. SNOWDENThat is to say, that the name of the approved society will not be on the card?
§ Mr. MASTERMANNo name will be on the card.
§ Mr. CLYNESDid not the Chancellor of the Exchequer say that the cards would be supplied by the employers?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI do not think so, either in this House or outside. If the hon. Gentleman has any doubts, I will send him some copies of the cards, and he will then see the position clearly.