54. Sir ROBERT YOUNGasked the Minister of Health whether unemployed workers will be automatically deprived of National Health Insurance benefits should the public assistance committee, under the means test, deprive them of further unemployment benefit; and, if not, what steps will be taken to keep them entitled to health insurance benefit and, in particular, whether their health insurance contributions will still be payable by the State?
The MINISTER of HEALTH (Mr. Chamberlain)The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. So long as a person remains insured under the National Health Insurance Acts he will continue to be entitled to benefits in accordance with the provisions of those Acts and will not be subject to penalties for arrears of contributions in respect of weeks for which satisfactory proof of unemployment is produced.
56. Colonel BROADBENTasked the Minister of Health whether an unem- 517 ployed person, who has received 26 weeks unemployment benefit, and who is subsequently transferred on to transitional unemployment benefit, will have his National Health Insurance contribution card franked each week by the public assistance committee whilst in receipt of such benefit?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINIn the circumstances stated the unemployed person would be entitled to have his health insurance contribution card franked in the usual way at the Employment Exchange. It is not proposed to transfer to public assistance committees the duty of franking cards.
Colonel BROADBENTIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is considerable confusion not only among the unemployed but also among the medical profession on this point; and will he take steps to see that the matter is made quite plain?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI was not aware of that, but I hope that the answer which I have given will serve to make it plain.