HC Deb 19 March 1936 vol 310 cc597-8
43. Mr. A. HENDERSON

asked the Minister of Health whether he proposes to introduce legislation to allow shopkeepers to become voluntary contributors under the National Health Insurance Acts for the purpose of qualifying for the receipt of benefits, including medical, sickness, and disablement benefits?

The MINISTER of HEALTH (Sir Kingsley Wood)

The answer is in the negative. The new scheme which the Government have announced its intention of introducing will be limited to pensions insurance. The Government feel that the success of the new scheme would be jeopardised by the inclusion of health insurance, because the contribution required to provide the combined benefits would be so substantial as to make the scheme unacceptable to many persons who are anxious to secure the pensions benefits. I would remind the hon. Member that under the National Insurance 'Act, 1911, shopkeepers and other persons working on their own account had the opportunity of becoming voluntary contributors for health insurance purposes, but the option was withdrawn by the Act of 1918 because of the meagre response to the offer.

Mr. HENDERSON

Would it not be possible for the Government to assist this class of the community by making the contribution a smaller one, and would it not be far better to spend money in this direction than to spend it on battleships and cruisers?

Mr. BUCHANAN

Is the Minister aware that since the 1918 Act pensions have been added, and that the new Minister of Defence, when Attorney-General, made a statement urging the Government to institute a reform of this kind some time ago?

Mr. LOGAN

Is the right hon. Gentleman not aware that increased voluntary contributions by people regularly employed would increase the solvency of approved societies?

Sir K. WOOD

I have studied that. To-day I saw a deputation of people who are interested in the question, and who agreed with me that the necessary contribution would be so considerable that the pensions scheme would lose its attractions.