HC Deb 06 June 1935 vol 302 cc2168-70

Considered in Committee under Standing Order No.69.

[Captain BOURNE in the Chair.]

Motion made, and Question proposed, That, for the purposes of any Act of the present Session to amend the enactments relating to National Health Insurance and Contributory Pensions, it is expedient to authorize—

  1. (a) the payment in respect of each contribution year out of moneys provided by Parliament to an unemployment arrears fund of a sum which will, together with so much of any disposable surplus certified as a result of any valuation made after the first day of January, nineteen hundred and thirty-two, to exist in the Navy, Army and Air Force insurance fund (after providing for the cost of maintaining the prescribed additional 'benefits) as may in pursuance of directions by the Treasury be transferred to that arrears fund, be equal to the total sum to be paid to that fund in respect of that year out of amounts retained from the weekly contributions in respect of members of approved societies;
  2. (b) the payment out of moneys pro vided by Parliament of such increases in the sums payable out of moneys so pro vided under the said enactments and the enactments relating to Old Age Pensions as are attributable to—
    1. (i) the treating of all moneys credited to approved societies out of the said Unemployment Arrears Fund as wholly derived from contributions made by or in respect of contributors;
    2. (ii) the extension of the period of free insurance allowable in cases of unemployment to persons who at the beginning of their free insurance period are employed contributors who have been continuously insured for at least ten years;
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    3. (iii)the extension to officers of the reserve forces, with or with out adaptatations, modifications, or conditions of sub-section (3) of section sixty-one and sub-section (2) of section one hundred and eight of the National Health Insurance Act, 1924;
    4. (iv) the conferring on the Minister, where the High Court has given a decision inconsistent with, or the Minister has on new facts revised, a previous determination of the Minister, of a power to direct that persons by or in respect of whom contributions have been paid by reason of the previous determination or in the reasonable belief that the previous determination was applicable, should he treated as though they had been in insurable employment during any week in respect of which those contributions were paid;
    5. (v) the extension of paragraph (e) of Part I of the First Schedule to the National Health Insurance Act, 1924, to cases where the use of a vessel or vehicle is obtained from a person who is not the owner thereof;
    6. (vi) the enabling of persons who, while insured as voluntary contributors, become insured as employed contributors again to become voluntary contributors on ceasing to be employed;
  3. (c) the repayment to the Exchequer ofso much of any sum paid under section seventeen of the National Health Insurance Act, 1924, to the Central Fund as is derived from moneys provided byParliament."—[Sir H. Young.]—[King's Recommendation signified.]

Mr. RHYS DAVIES

May I ask whether the Government take power in this Resolution only to take the £701, 000 surplus which is in the Navy, Army and Air Force Fund at present, or does the Resolution give them power to take any surpluses in future? the Resolution seems to imply that.

10.28 p.m.

Sir H. YOUNG

If the hon. Gentleman will look at the Resolution, he will see that it is framed in general terms, and the purpose is to enable the Government to transfer the credit from the Navy, Army and Air Force Fund to the general unemployment arrears fund in order to cover the deficit. If the hon. Member will consult the Actuary's report he will find it stated that this balance is riot likely to be a recurring balance. It cannot be counted on from year to year, and we must only look upon it as a casual aid for this year because it is due to circumstances which arose after the War and which are of a non-recurrent character. I would ask the hon. Member to look at the actual terms of the Resolution. The crucial words are the se: The payment in respect of each contribution year out of moneys provided by Parliament…together with so much of any disposable surplus certified as a result of any valuation made after the first day of January, nineteen hundred and thirty-two. It is clear that the transfer of such balance would be authorised under the terms of the Motion as regards each contribution year in respect of which any disposable surplus was certified as the result of any valuation of the fund; but actually on consulting the Actuary's re port, we find that it is not probable that there will be such a surplus.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolution to be reported upon Monday, 17th June.