HC Deb 20 July 1914 vol 65 cc20-1
30. Mr. C. BATHURST

asked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East, why William Deverill, of Chilmark, in the county of Wilts, a poor man with a wife and thirteen children, formerly a member of the Prudential Approved Society, and now a member of the Wiltshire Working Men's Conservative Benefit Society, has failed, in spite of repeated applications, to obtain maternity benefit on the occasion of the birth of his last child from either of the above societies; and whether the Insurance Commissioners will take steps to prevent this insured person from losing the maternity benefit, for the provision of which he has been paying weekly contributions out of his wages, owing to a refusal on the part of each of the above societies to admit its liability?

Mr. BENN

The Commissioners are informed that doubt arose as to which society was responsible for paying the benefit in question, owing to the fact that the insured person on receiving consent to transfer from his first society failed to inform his new society. They understand, however, that benefit has now been paid.

Mr. KING

Is not this difficulty a reason why this man should not have gone to this Conservative society?

Mr. BENN

There was a doubt which society ought to pay, and the society which actually did pay was the Prudential.

Mr. C. BATHURST

Is the hon. Member aware that there are as many Liberals as Conservatives members of this society?