§ 16. Mr. JOHN WARDasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether a society approved under the Insurance Act with 10,000 members, 5,500 being resident in England, 2,250 in Scotland, 2,250 in Wales, will be considered as one society for valuation purposes, or will the members in Wales and Scotland be placed on a different basis for valuation purposes, with a possible consequence that, after the first valuation is complete, the members in Wales and Scotland may be placed on an inferior scale of benefits compared with the English members of the same society; and, if so, will this difference be dealt with in any Bill amending the National Insurance Act?
Mr. ROBERTSONUnder Sub-section (3) of Section 83 of the National Insurance Act the members resident in each part of the United Kingdom will be treated for the 1604 purpose of valuation as if they formed a separate society. The question whether benefits should be increased or diminished would in each case depend on the result of the valuation, but there is no presumption that the members in any particular part of the United Kingdom would gain or lose by being valued separately, and the result may well be the very opposite of that contemplated in the question. Any amendment of the Act in the manner suggested in the latter part of the question would strike at the root of the principle of the separation of funds as between the four parts of the United Kingdom which was introduced into the National Insurance Bill by amendment when the Bill was before the House of Commons, in deference to the wishes of a large majority of Irish, Scottish, and Welsh Members.
§ Mr. J. WARDHas the hon. Gentleman taken into consideration the important point of the question, the difference of these people: to have the valuation of a society well managed in England, and then the passing over the Scottish and Welsh members to a society that is badly managed?
Mr. ROBERTSONThat, of course, is another matter. I have fully answered the points put down in the question.
Mr. WORTHINGTON-EVANSCan the hon. Gentleman say that for the purposes of the valuation the Scottish and Welsh units, being less than 5,000, will be grouped with other societies, or will they be treated on an ordinary basis?