§ 26. Sir W, de FRECEasked the Minister of Labour, as representing the Ministry of Health, whether his medical returns show any increase in public sickness due to unemployment and reduced wages; and, if so, where these evidences are most manifested?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of LABOUR (Major Boyd-Carpenter)Some indication of the amount of sickness of all kinds amongst the employed population of the country is furnished by the returns of expenditure by approved societies on sickness benefit under the National Health Insurance Acts. From these it appears that there was an increase in the number of weeks for which benefit was paid in 1921 as compared with the previous year of 1.4 per cent, in the case of men and 8.4 per cent, in the case of women. Many factors must, however, be borne in mind in making a comparison between the figures for the two years and, in particular, the serious epidemic of influenza about, the end of the year 1921. The material in the possession of the Ministry does not make it possible to state to what extent the increase may have been attributable to the causes referred to by the hon. Member, nor to give comparative figures for different parts of the country.