97. Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a married woman, who is herself an insured person and who has duly paid all contributions, is entitled to maternity benefit if her husband is not insured, but is deprived of maternity benefit if her husband is insured but has not paid twenty-six contributions; whether he is aware that, in the absence of any definition of an insured person, doubt has arisen as to whether a man who has not paid twenty-six contributions is an assured person for the purposes of Section 18 of the National Insurance Act; and whether he proposes to take any steps to secure a decision on this point?
§ Mr. MASTERMANUnder Section 18 of the National Insurance Act, the maternity benefit payable in respect of the confinement of an insured married woman whose husband is not insured, is paid from the funds of her own society, and is conditional upon the required number of her own contributions having been duly paid before the birth of the child; if the husband is insured, it is paid out of the funds of his society, and is conditional upon the required number of his contributions having being paid. In the latter case no maternity benefit would be payable if less than twenty-six contributions had been paid by or in respect of the husband. If his contributions had been paid, maternity benefit would be payable however much 402 the wife's contributions might be in arrear. In the case put in the question, maternity benefit would not be payable, but the wife would be entitled to 7s. 6d. a week sickness benefit. I am advised that the provisions of Section 18 of the National Insurance Act on the point are not open to doubt, and that the meaning of the words "insured person" cannot be restricted in the manner suggested in the second part of the question.
§ Mr. MASTERMANThere is liberality shown to the wife of a person who is uninsured, I agree.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTDoes the right hon. Gentleman recognise that a woman who is married to a man who is not insured is entitled to double benefit in every case, whereas the woman married to a man who is insured may be deprived of maternity benefit?
§ Mr. MASTERMANOf her husband's maternity benefit.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTI beg to give notice that on the Motion for the Adjournment I shall call attention to the interpretation of the Insurance Act by the Commissioners whereby a married woman who has fully insured herself and who has paid twenty-six contributions, may be deprived of maternity benefit if her husband has not paid his twenty-six contributions.