25. Lieut. - Colonel Sir PHILIP RICHARDSONasked the Minister of Labour why contribution for unemployment insurance is levied in respect of apprentices during the period of their apprenticeship seeing that there is no liability to the fund; and whether he is aware that unemployment is caused be- 2237 cause small employers are unable to bear the cumulative burden of compulsory State insurances?
§ Mr. SHAWIt is not the case that all apprentices are free from the liability to be unemployed. A suggestion that indentured apprentices whose employers undertake to give them permanent employment should be excepted, has recently been urged upon me, and I have promised to examine it, but the question is full of difficulty, and I cannot undertake to propose any change in the present Unemployment, Insurance Bill. As regards the second part of the Question, I have received no evidence which would lead me to believe that unemployment is being caused by the inability of employers to bear the cost of unemployment insurance contributions.