§ 17. Major HUNTasked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the figures given of the nineteen industrial assurance companies for 1913 and 1914 to the effect that they collected more than twice as much from working people, in-eluding soldiers and sailors, as they paid out in claims and surrenders, he can now say what he proposes to do to put an end to this state of affairs by which such a sum of money is extracted, without any benefit, from our soldiers and sailors and other working people?
§ Mr. PRETYMANThe Courts Emergency Powers Act contains provisions to prevent the lapsing of small policies which have been in-existence for any substantial time, and I doubt whether any further action with regard to industrial assurances is expedient at present.
§ Major HUNTWhat has happened to the £10,000,000 taken from the working classes in 1913 without benefit and the £9,000,000 taken from them in 1914 without benefit, and why is there no supervision over these companies as there is over shopkeepers and others? Cannot my hon. Friend see that the working people are being horribly swindled by these companies?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI do not see that question on the Paper.