§ 14. Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Minister of Social Security if she will seek to revise the present 11s. 7d. a week contribution for part-time employees, including married women, working more than eight hours a week, which has to be made by their employers, so as to avoid the discouragement of part-time employment in future.
§ Mr. PentlandIt has never been found practicable to introduce a reduced rate of contribution for part-time workers within the framework of the existing scheme of flat-rate contributions and benefits, but the position of such workers is being considered in our general review of the social security provisions.
§ Mr. AllaunI thank the Parliamentary Secretary for that fairly sympathetic Answer. Could not the part-time worker, working up to 21 hours a week, be helped with a refund in the same way as the Government have recently and rightly done over S.E.T.?
§ Mr. PentlandMy hon. Friend will be aware that this matter brings in Departments other than the Ministry of Social Security. Our general review of social security provisions embraces the question of relating contributions and benefits more closely to earnings, but it would be wrong for me at this stage to anticipate the effect that might have on part-time workers generally.