§ 26. Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYasked the Minister of Health if he is 1522 aware that a number of insurance companies already have adequate pension schemes for their employés, including provision for widows and dependants and that these are already in operation or. a more generous scale than that proposed in the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Bill; and if it is intended to make it possible for these persons to obtain exemption from the provisions of the said Bill?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe power to grant exception from the provisions of the Contributory Pensions Bill is, in effect, limited to the permanent employés of local or public authorities and statutory companies, and there is no intention of extending this power to the employés of insurance or any other non-statutory companies. Where, however, any of these companies have superannuation schemes providing benefits corresponding to the benefits secured by the Bill, the new Clause after Clause 26 which has been added to the Bill in Committee will facilitate the modification of the schemes so far as they affect persons who will be insured under the Bill.