§ 71. Mr. HICKS BEACHasked what is the total amount of national insurance stamps and unemployment insurance stamps, respectively, issued from the 15th July, 1912, to the 31st March, 1913?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe total amount received by the sale of health insurance and unemployment stamps, respectively, issued to the public through post offices or otherwise for the period stated in the question was £13,130,000 and £1,232,920.
§ 79. Colonel BURNasked if the Financial Secretary to the Treasury will relax the conditions attached to the sale of quarterly insurance stamps, which entail on an employer the responsibility of paying his own contribution and that of the employed for the full quarter, in spite of the fact that the latter may leave his service before the expiration of the quarter?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe provisions of the National Insurance Act and Regulations require that an employer should pay the contributions due under the Act not later than the payment of wages for the period to which the contributions relate. Except, therefore, where the employer is prepared to pay the contributions in advance, this requirement of necessity restricts the use of stamps representing a full quarter's contribution to cases in which the payment of wages for the whole quarter is deferred until the end of the quarter or some later date. It is not possible in the circumstances to make any change in the direction suggested by the hon. Member. Special arrangements have been made in the case of employers of not less than 100 insured persons who make a preliminary deposit to enable the stamping to be done in bulk at the end of the quarter.
§ Colonel BURNWhat reason is there why an employer should pay two months' contributions on his own behalf and also on the employé's behalf, if his servant gives him a month's notice and has received only a month's payment in the last quarter?
§ Mr. MASTERMANNo reason as far as I know. The employer is only obliged to put insurance stamps on the cards in respect of wages which are received. He must put those stamps on the card, under the Act, not later than the wages are paid.