§ 1. "That a sum, not exceeding £568,275, be granted to His Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1916, for the Salaries and Expenses of the National Health Insurance Joint Committee (including Sundry Grants-in-Aid)."
§ 2. "That a sum, not exceeding £3,300,356, be granted to His Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1916, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Insurance Commission (England), and for Contributions and Grants in respect of the Cost of Benefits and Expenses of Administration under Part I. of the National Insurance Act, 1911, and under the National Insurance Act, 1913 (including certain Grants-in-Aid)."
§ 3. "That a sum, not exceeding£177,553, be granted to His Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1916, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Insurance Commission (Wales), and for Contributions and Grants in respect of the Cost of Benefits and Expenses of Administration under Part I. of the National Insurance Act, 1911, and under the National Insurance Act, 1913 (including certain Grants-in-Aid)."
§ Resolutions agreed to.
§ Resolution reported,
§ 4. "That a sum, not exceeding £419,027, be granted to His Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1916, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Insurance Commission (Scotland), and for Contributions and Grants in respect of the Cost of Benefits and Expenses of Administration under Part I. of the National Insurance Act, 1911, and the 1600 National Insurance Act, 1913 (including certain Grants-in-Aid)."
§ Resolution read a second time.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That this House doth agree with the Committee in the said Resolution."
§ 9.0 P.M.
§ Mr. WATTCan the Financial Secretary to the Treasury tell us the position on this Vote with regard to unclaimed insurance cards? There are, I understand, at the head office in Edinburgh, a considerable number of such cards, which it has been impossible to trace. Can the right hon. Gentleman give me the number approximately?
§ Mr. C. ROBERTSI am afraid that I cannot give the exact figures, but I can say that the members of the Scottish Commission are grappling with the problem of these unclaimed cards with much success, and I hope that the difficulty is really being got over.
§ Mr. PRINGLEThe question of unclaimed cards is one of extreme importance. The Comptroller of the Household has told us that he cannot give us the number.
§ Mr. ROBERTSNot without notice.
§ Mr. PRINGLEI thought the hon. Gentleman had received notice on the occasion of the discussion in Committee of Supply, and that probably he would have an idea of the approximate number of the cards. The assurance he has given the House to-night is not very satisfying. I know several of the Scottish Insurance Commissioners, and regard them as probably the ablest officials of any of the Insurance Commissioners.
§ Mr. PRINGLEEverybody knows it is a fact. Even granting that their abilities are all that I claim for them, which the hon. Member doubts, that is not sufficient to satisfy the House. In many cases there is absolutely no possibility whatever of identification, and in these circumstances there must be many thousands of insured persons—this applies not only to Scotland, but also to England, Wales, and Ireland—who, in the course of the current year, will lose benefits for which they have actually paid contributions. As it is absolutely impossible to identify them the Insurance Commissioners should carefully consider some 1601 means of preventing this situation continuing and increasing in the future.
§ Mr. ROBERTSI do not in the least underrate the importance of the point that has been raised. As a matter of fact, attention has already been given to it by a recent change, and an identification mark is allowed, which may not be understood by the public at large, but an identification mark which may be sufficient to identify to what approved society the contribution card belongs. I believe that that change in method will enable us to grapple with what remains of the problem, which is not now so serious as it was at first. I hope the reference to that change of method, with which I do not doubt the hon. Member is very familiar, will show him that the matter is under careful consideration and that steps are being taken to deal with the problem.
§ Question put, and agreed to.
§ Resolutions reported,
§ 5. "That a sum, not exceeding £228,090, be granted to His Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1916, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Insurance Commission (Ireland), and for Contributions and Grants in respect of the Cost of Benefits and Expenses of Administration under Part I. of the National Insurance Act, 1911, and the National Insurance Act, 1913 (including certain Grants-in-Aid)."
§ 6. "That a sum, not exceeding £57,700, be granted to His Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1916, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Audit Staff under the National Insurance Act, 1911."
§ Resolutions agreed to.