HC Deb 09 October 1912 vol 42 c336
40. Mr. RENDALL

asked whether married women, not mainly dependent on their earnings for their livelihood, who work two or three days a week irregularly at charing, or who work two or three days a week for a laundry company, or who work whole time at a laundry, must be insured under Part I. of the National Insurance Act?

Mr. MASTERMAN

Women employed casually as charwomen are excepted from the compulsory provisions of the Act if their employment is not for the purpose of the employer's trade or business, but not otherwise. All persons, however, who would otherwise require to be insured are entitled to a certificate of exemption (relieving them, but not their employers, of the duty to pay contributions) if they can show that they are ordinarily and mainly dependent for their livelihood upon some other person. Apart from such exemption, the women in the last two classes mentioned in the question would be employed contributors; those in the first class would not be, if they are employed quite casually and in domestic work.

Mr. LANSBURY

Must a woman who does one day's charing a week regularly be compulsorily insured?

Mr. MASTERMAN

She must be compulsorily insured as far as the employer is concerned. She need not pay in the event of her not being able to depend mainly on her own earnings.

Mr. LANSBURY

But if she docs mainly depend on her own earnings?

Mr. MASTERMAN

Then she is compulsorily required to insure.