12. Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is his intention to appoint a Committee or Commission to report on the working of the National Insurance Acts, and to make suggestions for Amendment?
§ Mr. WEDGWOOD BENN (Lord of the Treasury)The answer is in the negative. My hon. Friend will be aware that a Departmental Committee on Sickness Benefit Claims is now sitting.
23. Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East, as representing the Insurance Commissioners, whether an insured person who is in prison is entitled to sickness benefit while he is an inmate of the prison if he becomes ill; and whether the sickness benefit would be administered under Section 12 of the original Act?
§ Mr. W. BENNThe Act does not deal expressly with the ease referred to by my hon. Friend, and the Commissioners are advised that Section 12 of the 1911 Act does not apply. The conditions of the Act, and of the rules of societies, for the payment of sickness benefit could not, however, ordinarily be satisfied in such a case.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTDo I gather, if a man is ill in prison and certified to be unfit for work, that a claim from him for benefit would be a valid claim?
§ Mr. W. BENNI do not think that I can add anything to the answer I have given already. The case is a very difficult one to decide.