HC Deb 02 May 1957 vol 569 cc386-8

Resolution reported,

1. That persons who, either as insured persons or as employers, pay, or are liable to pay, contributions under the National Insurance Act, 1946, as amended by subsequent enactments (hereinafter referred to as "national insurance contributions"), shall be liable in addition to pay contributions, to be known as national health service contributions, as follows:—

  1. (a) any person who pays, or is liable to pay, national insurance contributions as a person of any of the descriptions specified in the first column of the Table set out below, except in paragraph 4 of that Table, shall be liable to pay national health service contributions at the weekly rate specified in relation to that description in the second column of that Table;
  2. (b) any person who is liable to pay national insurance contributions as an employer shall, for each person employed by him, be liable to pay national health service contributions at the weekly rate specified in the second column of paragraph 4 of that Table.

2. That national health service contributions shall be paid to the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance, but, as between that Minister and the Minister of Health and the Secretary of State, shall be taken to be so paid for the benefit of the Minister of Health, towards the cost of the national health service in England and Wales, and of the Secretary of State, towards the cost of the national health service in Scotland, in such shares as the Treasury may determine, subject to—

  1. (a) provision for the expenses of the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance attributable to the collection and application of those contributions, and the payment into the Exchequer of sums retained by that Minister on account of those expenses;
  2. (b) provision for estimating the sums to be paid to the Minister of Health and the Secretary of State on account of the shares of national health service contributions due to them respectively; and
  3. (c) provision for treating the sums so paid to the Minister of Health as sums received by him under the National Health Service Act. 1946. otherwise than as sums required to he transferred to the Hospital Endowments Fund. and for treating the sums so paid to the Secretary of State as sums received by him under the National Health Service (Scotland) Act. 1947

3. That, in consequence of the provision made by the preceding paragraphs of this Resolution, it is expedient to provide—

  1. (a) for reducing the weekly rates of national insurance contributions specified in 387 the said Act of 1946, as amended, for persons of the descriptions specified in the first column of the Table set out below, by the amounts specified in relation to those descriptions in the third column of that Table;
  2. (b) for discontinuing the making of payments out of the National Insurance Fund under section thirty-seven of the said Act of 1946;
  3. (c) for applying (with or without modifications) the provisions of the enactments relating to national insurance, and of the Orders in Council and regulations made thereunder, to national health service contributions;

TABLE
Description of person Weekly rate of national health service contributions Reduction of weekly rate of national insurance contributions
s. d. s. d.
1.Employed men between the ages of 18 and 70, not including men over the age of 65 who have retired from regular employment … … 1½ 4½ 8½
2. Employed women between the ages of 18 and 65, not including women over the age of 60 who have retired from regular employment … 1 0½ 6½
3. Employed boys and girls under the age of 18 … … … … 8½ 4½
4. Employers (for each person employed) … … … … … 3½ 1½
5. Self-employed men between the ages of 18 and 70, not including men over the age of 65 who have retired from regular employment … … 1 8 10
6. Self-employed women between the ages of 18 and 65, not including women over the age of 60 who have retired from regular employment … 1 4 8
7. Self-employed boys and girls under the age of 18 … … … 1 0 6
8. Non-employed men between the ages of 18 and 65 … … … 1 8 10
9. Non-employed women between the ages of 18 and 60 … … 1 4 8
10. Non-employed boys and girls under the age of 18 … … … 1 0 6

Resolution read a Second time

Question,That this House doth agree with the Committee in the said Resolution, put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 86 (Ways and Means Motions and Resolutions), and agreed to.

Bill ordered to be brought in upon the said Resolution by the Chairman of Ways and Means, Mr. Vosper, Mr. Maclay, Mr. Boyd-Carpenter, Mr. Powell and Mr. Vaughan-Morgan.

NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE CONTRIBUTIONS

Bill to make provisions for requiring persons who pay, or are liable to pay,

(d) for removing limitations on the power of the Parliament of Northern Ireland to pass corresponding legislation;

(e) for the making, on account of national health service contributions, of payments to the Exchequer of Northern Ireland, and to the appropriate authority or fund in the Isle of Man, in cases where corresponding financial adjustments are made on account of national insurance contributions;

(f) for other matters incidental or supplementary to the matters aforesaid.

contributions under the National Insurance Acts, 1946 to 1956, to pay contributions towards the cost of the national health service, and, in consequence thereof, to reduce the rates of contributions under those Acts, and to discontinue the making of payments out of the National Insurance Fund in respect of the national health service under section thirty-seven of the National Insurance Act, 1946; and for purposes connected with the matters aforesaid, presented accordingly, and read the First time; to be read a Second time upon Monday next and to be printed.