HC Deb 21 July 1920 vol 186 cc2032-3
Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

I beg to move, in page 31, line 38, at the end, to insert the words (2) Regulations under this Act may also be made providing that, subject to the prescribed conditions. Section one of the National Health Insurance (Prolongation of Insurance) Act, 1921, shall apply, and shall be deemed always to have applied, in cases where condition (b) therein mentioned is not complied with, as if for that condition there were substituted the following condition, that is to say: — (b) that the approved society of which the insured person is a member is satisfied, or in the case of a dispute it is decided in manner provided by the Insurance Act, that during the prescribed period the insured person has, except when incapable of work by reason of some specific disease or some bodily or mental disablement, been available for but unable to obtain employment: Provided that no person shall by virtue of any such regulation become entitled to any benefit under the Insurance Act in respect of any period before the commencement of this Act. This is to deal with another specially hard case brought to our notice, namely, the position of certain steel and iron workers who were thrown out of work in 1920 and are, therefore, unable to comply with the conditions laid down in the Prolongation of Insurance Act. Under the new Amendment which I am moving to insert here, it is proposed to enable societies in suitable cases to waive this contribution test, where they are satisfied that the failure to obtain employment was due to a genuine unemployment, that is to say, that the members concerned were seeking employment, but were unable to obtain it at the time.

Amendment agreed to.

Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Miss WILKINSON

On a point of Order. When you put the Question, Mr. Hope, "That the Clause, as amended, stand part of the Bill," does that mean that when we come to the Report stage we shall not be able to discuss these particular Clauses?

The CHAIRMAN

No; they will be open for discussion on Report. The object of putting that Question is that the Clause in which the Amendment has been inserted may be open for re-discussion, in view of the Amendment that has been made in it. When the Bill is considered on report before Mr. Speaker, the whole Bill will be open to Amendment.