§ 3. Mr. TINKERasked the Home Secretary if he is in a position to say how many uninsured employers have failed to meet the claims made upon them under the Workmen's Compensation Acts; how many injured workmen are affected by this; and which industry has suffered the most?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSAs the hon. Member knows, I made inquiries recently on this subject in the case of the coal-mining industry, and the general results of these inquiries were given in my replies to questions asked in this House on the 7th February. I regret that no information is available as regards other industries, but practically all the complaints which have recently reached me on this matter have related to the coal-mining industry.
§ Mr. MARDY JONESIs not the right hon. Gentleman aware that the White Paper issued by the Government dealing with the basic and heavy industries most liable to accidents shows that 27 per cent. of the employers have not insured their workers against accident, and is it not high time that the Government took steps to put the matter right?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSThere is another question on that particular subject which I shall answer in a moment.
§ 4. Mr. TINKERasked the Home Secretary which of the seven big industries which make returns to him under Section 42 of the Workmen's Compensation Acts has the greatest percentage of uninsured employers?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSThe group with the largest percentage of employers who are not insured either with an insurance company or a mutual indemnity association is the railways, who have a percentage of nearly 51.
§ Mr. TINKERDoes not the right hon. Gentleman think that the time has arrived when there should be compulsory insurance in order to protect injured workmen?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSI have not heard of any case of any railway company defaulting in the matter of workmen's compensation. This goes to show that as far as that group is concerned there is no need for compulsory insurance.
§ Mr. JONESIs it not a fact that the Balfour Committee made strong recommendations that there should be compulsory insurance for all industries where workers are liable to injury?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSThe Report is a rather long one, and I could not express any opinion concerning it at this time.
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSI have not read the Report completely yet.
§ 5. Mr. TINKERasked the Home Secretary if he will state from the returns made to him in respect of the Workmen's Compensation Acts what proportion of compensation is paid by employers who are not insured, by mutual indemnity associations, and by insurance companies?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSOut of the total amount of compensation paid in the seven industrial groups covered by the returns, 52.6 per cent. was paid by mutual indemnity associations; 24.3 per cent. by insurance companies and 23.1 per cent. by uninsured employers.
§ 9. Mr. KELLYasked the Home Secretary the reason for the non-ratification of the International Convention of 1925 on equality of treatment for national and foreign workers with regard to workmen's compensation; and whether any negotiations have taken place since the Convention was made?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSThe hon. Member is under a misapprehension. This Convention has been ratified by His Majesty's Government, and the ratification was formally registered on the 6th October, 1926.