§ Order for Second Reading read.
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Major Baird)I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a second time."
This is a very important Bill. It is necessary in order to enable the scale of compensation to be increased to meet the increase in the cost of living. It is a temporary measure. It provides for an increase of the percentage of compensation payable based on the compensation in the Act of 1906 from 25 per cent. to 75 per cent. It represents what we hope will be a fair solution of the difficulty. It is merely for the war period and six months after. It is to bring the temporary Act of 1917 up to the requirements of the present day and to continue that temporary measure. The whole question of compensation is now under the consideration of a Departmental Committee, and we hope that that Committee will report in time to enable permanent legislation to be brought in in the course of next year. I would apologise for inviting the House to give a Second Reading to a measure of this importance at this late hour if it were not for the fact that it is extremely important to get it. The only questions which will arise are really all Committee points.
§ Bill accordingly read a second time, and committed to a Standing Committee.