HC Deb 04 February 1913 vol 47 cc1992-3
64. Sir J. D. REES

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the earnings of lace outworkers are so small that they cannot complete sufficient units during the year to entitle them to receive benefits under the National Insurance Act, that the low rates of remuneration are unavoidable and due to the fluctuations of trade and to the short time most of the outworkers can give to this work; whether he is aware that only about 500 insurance cards have been returned in Nottingham out of about 7,000 lace outworkers; what proportion of such returned cards show a sufficient number of payments to entitle the insured persons to the benefits of the scale of wages paid to the outworkers as fixed by the Wages Board; and whether the Insurance Commissioners will, in consideration of the exceptional conditions of the lace outworkers, agree to their exemption or so revise the Regulations as to arrears as to enable a greater proportion of workers to receive benefits under the Act?

Mr. MASTERMAN

The hon. Member would appear to be under a misapprehension, either as to the average earnings of outworkers engaged in the lace-finishing trade or as to the benefits which persons whose cards are only partially stamped may expect to receive. The latter point is dealt with fully on pages 14 and 15 of the Report which was laid on the Table of the House on 30th January and will be circulated this afternoon. I am not aware of the number of cards that have been returned in respect of outworkers in Nottingham, but no doubt a certain proportion of the married women have not been insured pending the result of the recent inquiry. At that inquiry, as the hon. Member is aware, special attention was given to the conditions in Nottingham. The Commissioners have accepted the recommendation of the presiding officer that the recent special Order should be maintained, and that no class of outworker should be excluded from the scope of the National Insurance Act, while at the same time adopting certain recommendations for the readjustment of methods of payment.

Sir J. D. REES

Has the right hon. Gentleman been able to make any inquiries with the object of confirming or refuting the reports I have had the honour to make about the distress in Nottingham?

Mr. MASTERMAN

I think the hon. Gentleman will find very full treatment of the Nottingham problem in the Report.