§ 11. Sir WILLIAM WAYLANDasked the Minister of Labour what would be the additional weekly levy necessary on the State, employers, and workers in the same proportions as at present to put the Unemployment Insurance Fund on a paying basis, presuming the total number of unemployed persons insured reached a total of 3,000,000?
§ Miss BONDFIELDWith an average number of registered unemployed of 3,000,000 the total annual expenditure of the Unemployment Fund would be about £142,000,000, including the cost of benefit at the present rate, administration and interest on outstanding Treasury advances. I have no means of knowing what the cost of transitional benefit would be in such circumstances, but assuming the cost in a year to be 2251 £40,000,000, it would be necessary to increase the weekly rates of contribution to about 2½ times their present amount in order to cover the balance of £102,000,000.
§ Sir W. WAYLANDWill the right hon. Lady suggest to the Chancellor of the Exchequer that perhaps it might be a means of getting him out of his difficulties if—
§ Mr. SPEAKERSir Herbert Cayzer.