§ 2. Mrs. Knightasked the Minister of Social Security what plans she has for extending the use of the impress method and monthly system of paying for insurance stamps among smaller firms in industry.
§ The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to he Ministry of Social Security (Mr. Norman Pentland)Payment of contributions by the impressed stamping method is already available to smaller firms, and my right hon. Friend is proposing shortly to modify the arrangements for payment by this method so that employers will no longer be required to pay in advance for the stamp impression.
§ Mrs. KnightWill the hon. Gentleman accept my assurance that his Answer will give much pleasure, because some small firms with only 50 or so employees now pay £100 a week in insurance stamps and will shortly be paying more, which means that small local post offices have to carry enormous stocks of stamps? If lie bears that in mind in any alterations which he may have on the stocks, I am sure that there will be gratitude to him.
§ Mr. PentlandThe hon. Lady is probably right. The number of employers using this method of impressed stamping rose from 5,569 to 6,047 during the year ending September, 1967, and the change in the arrangements which my right hon. Friend is proposing will probably lead to sill wider use.