§ 62. Mr. ANNESLEY SOMERVILLEasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that an unregistered assurance society was recently convicted at the Mansion House for offences as far back as November, 1929; and will he state what steps the Industrial Assurance Commissioner takes to prevent unregistered assurance societies continuing to transact business in contravention of the Act of 1923 for a period of more than six months, during which time the public is exploited?
§ Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCEThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. With regard to the latter part, the Industrial Assurance Commissioner prosecutes as soon as he has evidence that the Act has been contravened.
§ Mr. SOMERVILLEIs it not a fact that the operations of such societies bear most hardly on the poorer members of the community?
§ Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCEI think that is quite true.