§ 16. Mr. GLYN-JONESasked whether the Great Northern Railway Company, in July, 1912, informed the workmen employed in the signal station at York Road, King's Cross, that no contributions were payable by or in respect of them under Part II. of the National Insurance Act; that the workmen obtained from the office of the Umpire, in September, 1912, an intimation that they came under Part II., and though this decision was made known to the company they declined to pay contributions; and whether the company has 526 power to collect arrears from the workmen, as- they are now proposing to do, by deducting 10s. 10d. in four consecutive weekly contributions?
Mr. ROBERTSONI am informed that on an application from one of these workmen the Umpire replied, on 7th September last, intimating in general terms that contributions under Part II. of the National Insurance Act were payable in respect of certain classes of workmen employed in railway signal shops, but I have no information whether the company were made aware of this communication. It was subsequently reported to the Board of Trade that contributions were not being paid in respect of the workmen referred to in the question, and upon inquiry it then appeared that the company were in doubt as to whether the Umpire's decisions relating to workmen in railway signal shops were applicable to the particular men concerned. It was, therefore, necessary to obtain an authoritative ruling from the Umpire, who has now decided that the workmen are insurable. As regards the last part of the question, it would appear to be difficult to contend that an employer who in the bonâ-fide belief that certain workmen were not insurable has not paid any contributions in respect of them nor made any deductions from their wages, but has subsequently ascertained that they were insurable and paid all arrears of contributions, is precluded from recovering half of the amount so paid by him by deductions from the workmen's wages. If, however, my hon, Friend's point is not that the deductions are illegal but that the instalments are excessive, I should be glad to confer with him with a view to ascertaining if there is ground for making representations to the company on this matter.
§ Mr. GLYN-JONESIn the case where the workmen involved have obtained the opinion of the Umpire that they were parties to the Act, and communicated that to the, employer, and the employer takes no notice and absolutely refuses to pay the contributions, may I ask whether it is legal at the end of twelve months to deduct the employed person's contributions?
Mr. ROBERTSONThat, of course, is another matter. I cannot answer a question of that kind without notice. If the hon. Member will give me the particulars, I will inquire into the matter.