§ 48. Mr. R. DAVIESasked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the unsatisfactory position of health insured persons who are in receipt of workmen's compensation for total incapacity, referred by their approved societies to regional medical officers, certified by those officers as capable of following some but not their usual occupation; that the approved societies; on the information of the regional medical officers then refer such insured persons to the Employment Exchanges on instructions that they will not be excused arrears for the purposes of health insuance and old age pensions benefits unless they secure franks on their health insurance cards; and will he take steps to remedy this position?
Sir H. YOUNGI am not aware of any special difficulty having arisen in connection with the matter referred to by the hon. Member. If, as a result of the report of a regional medical officer, an approved society decides that a member is not incapable of work within the meaning of the National Health Insurance Acts, excusal of arrears of contributions can be given only on the ground of proved unemployment. If a member is not able to obtain franks for this purpose, it is open to him to submit to his society other evidence that he was in fact unemployed.
§ Mr. DAVIESIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that I have already called the attention of his Department to this anomaly by which a doctor, for the purposes of workmen's compensation, certifies an injured workman to be totally incapacited, while the regional medical officer for the purposes of health insurance, certifies him not to be totally incapacitated; and will he look into the question again?
Sir H. YOUNGYes, Sir. I will certainly look into the matter, but I must remind the hon. Member that the standards for the two Acts are different. They cover different conditions. He will find, I think, that the fact of the obtaining of a frank is not the only evidence of unemployment but merely one form of evidence and that on application to the approved society, other evidence can be given which would deal with the cases to which he refers.
§ Mr. DAVIESDoes not the right hon. Gentleman see that, when the approved society sends the injured man to the Employment Exchange, the insurance company which is paying the workmen's compensation becomes suspicious at once that the man is not totally incapacitated from following his own employment?