§ 48. Mr. BOOTHasked the Prime Minister if he has received a letter from the Scottish Clerks' Association condemning the methods of the Departmental Committee on the National Insurance Act as premature and unjust; whether he is also aware that a voluntary Committee containing seven Members of this House, together with leading employers and workmen, are investigating matters not within the Treasury reference to their Committee; that facts not previously known are being brought to light; and whether the Government will wait until this process is complete before attempting to hurry through legislation which will be resisted in every part of the House?
§ Mr. CHARLES ROBERTS (Comptroller Of the Household)The Prime Minister has asked me to reply to this question, and has forwarded to me the letter from the Committee of Management of the Scottish Clerks' Association to which my hon. Friend refers. I do not think that the views of the committee of this association have been correctly summarised in the question, but their representations will be considered in conjunction with the 1240 opinion of other approved societies, very many of which representing the great majority of insured persons have expressed themselves in a contrary sense. I cannot at present make any statement in regard to legislation, but due notice will be given as to the intention of the Government.
§ Mr. BOOTHIs my hon. Friend aware that the summary, as he calls it, is in the exact words of the resolution; the words "premature" and "unjust" both occur in it; and is he prepared to give a better answer to the latter part of the question?
§ Mr. ROBERTSIn that case, I do not think I have received the same resolution. The epithets which the hon. Member applies to them I took to be his own, and not part of the resolution which the committee has sent.
§ Mr. ROBERTSCertainly; I have got a copy here.