§ 65. Mr. RHYS DAVIESasked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the fact that approximately 2,000,000 insured persons have been unemployed for 26 weeks since July, 1921, and will thereby be disentitled to receive the ordinary sickness, disablement, and maternity benefits under the National Health Insurance Acts for 12 months from the 1st January, 1923, it is his intention to prolong beyond 31st December, 1922, the arrangement embodied in the Act passed last year and the amended arrears Regulations subsequently issued, under which persons unemployed through no fault of their own remain entitled to certain minimum cash benefits; and, if not, what other arrangement he proposes 992 service, 120,241 in other kinds of domestic service, 25,698 in dressmaking, boots and shoes, &c., 11,114 in textiles and 16,038 in commercial and clerical work. I am forwarding to my hon. Friend a statement showing the position in greater detail.
§ Viscount CURZONDo the figures which the right hon. Gentleman has given include any people who have been duplicated, that is, for whom employment has been found twice over?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI take it that charwomen, for instance, have been included who have been in more than one employment during that time.
§ Following is the statement supplied:
§ to make as regards 1923 to meet case of approximately one-sixth in number of the insured population?
§ The MINISTER of HEALTH (Sir Alfred Mond)The title of insured persons to benefits during the year 1923 is governed by the number of contributions paid during the whole of the current contribution year, which does not end until the 2nd July next. There is, therefore, no need for any decision at present on the question raised by the hon. Member, and I am not yet in possession of sufficient information to enable me to arrive at a decision.