§ 32. Mr. E. BROWNasked the Minister of Labour whether he can give the reason why ex-service and general orderly staffs employed in a temporary capacity at the Ministry of Pensions hospitals are compulsorily excepted from the benefits of the Unemployment Insurance Acts?
§ Mr. BETTERTONGeneral orderly staffs at the Ministry of Pensions Hospitals are held in most cases to come within the scope of paragraph (b) of Part II of the First Schedule to the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1920, which excepts from Unemployment Insurance 1781 employment in domestic service, except where the employed person is employed in any trade or business carried on for the purposes of gain.
§ Mr. BROWNIs the hon. Gentleman aware that these men are discharged, and are therefore in a very hard position, and can he see his way to remedying it in the present Bill?
§ Mr. BETTERTONThat point will arise in debate. I could not answer it in reply to a question.
§ Mr. BUCHANANWill not the hon. Gentleman consider it himself with a view to drafting an Amendment, seeing that an increasing number of these men are being landed in an awkward position?
§ Mr. BETTERTONIt is already laid down in the Act of 1920 that the definition as to who does and who does not come within the Act is decided by a Judge of the High Court appointed for the purpose, and we have no discretionary power in the matter at all.
| The AMOUNTS of CONTRIBUTIONS made to the Unemployment Fund by Parliament, employers and employés, for each financial year since the coming into operation of the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1920, to 31st March, 1927, were approximately as follows:— | |||||
| Financial Year. | Contributions from | Total | |||
| Employers (including Service Depts.). | Employed Persons. | Exchequer. | |||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| 8th November, 1920, to 31st March, 1921 | … | 3,054,000 | 2,866,000 | 1,538,000 | 7,458,000 |
| 1921–22 | … | 15,068,000 | 12,261,000 | 8,123,000 | 35,452,000 |
| 1922–23 | … | 17,933,000 | 15,608,000 | 12,001,000 | 45,542,000 |
| 1923–24 | … | 19,009,000 | 16,828,000 | 12,811,000 | 48,648,000 |
| 1924–25 | … | 19,517,000 | 17,318,000 | 13,145,000 | 49,980,000 |
| 1925–26 | … | 19,467,000 | 16,754,000 | 13,504,000 | 49,725,000 |
| 1926–27 | … | 15,032,000 | 12,874,000 | 10,838,000 | 38,744,000 |
§ 35. Mr. HARMSWORTHasked the Minister of Labour whether he will give figures showing the estimated numbers of exempt men, women, boys, and girls, respectively, in respect of whom contributions to the Unemployment Insurance Fund are paid?