3. Mr. Royleasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he is aware that nurses who are taking the course of twelve months' duration for the health visitor certificate and other students similarly placed are deprived of health benefit for one year after completing the courses and during the year of the training; and what steps he will take to entitle them to benefit during this period.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterIn general, nurses taking the course referred to in the Question remain eligible for sickness benefit provided that the appropriate contributions are made by them or on their behalf. The position is, of course, the same for other students similarly placed.
Mr. RoyleIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that invariably these contributions are not made and this leaves the students in a very difficult position in many cases? Will not he think about this matter once more and realise that these students are fitting themselves to he of service to the country and therefore should not have to put up with this difficulty?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterI am afraid that, in a contributory scheme, if the benefits are to be drawn, the contributions must be kept up, but in this category, which consists mainly of nurses who have been in employment as nurses for some years already, I understand that it is sometimes possible to continue the Class 1 contribution, as some local authorities do on their behalf, or, as other local authorities do, including the hon. Gentleman's local authority, advise them to keep up Class 3 contributions.