§ Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee read.
§ Moved, That the House do now resolve itself into Committee.—(Lord Rochester.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.
§ House in Committee accordingly:
§ [The EARL OF ONSLOW in the Chair.]
§ Clauses 1 to 9 agreed to.
§ THE PAYMASTER-GENERAL (LORD ROCHESTER) moved, after Clause 9, to insert the following new clause:
§ Repeal of s. 44 (7) of 15 & 16 Geo. 5 c. 70.
§ .—(1) Subsection (7) of Section forty-four of the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925, (which subsection relates to the reckoning, for certain purposes, of insurance in Northern Ireland and contributions paid in that country) is hereby repealed.
§ (2) For the purposes of any financial adjustments to be made under Section thirty-three of the said Act, this section shall be deemed to have come into operation on the same date as the reciprocal arrangements first made between Great Britain and Northern Ireland under the said Section thirty-three.
584§ The noble Lord said: It will not be necessary to detain your Lordships many moments, but a point has arisen affecting Northern Ireland in connection with the National health Insurance and Contributory Pensions Bill and the Amendment on the Paper. I think I can best explain by saying that subsection (7) of Section 44 of the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925, which it is proposed to repeal, provides that in the case of an insured person who has a period of employment in Northern Ireland the weeks of insurance in Northern Ireland and the contributions paid into the National Health Insurance Fund of that country in respect of him shall count as weeks of insurance and as contributions paid in respect of him for the purposes of the statutory conditions under the Contributory Pensions Act.
§ At the time when the Act of 1925 was introduced it was not known whether a similar scheme would be set up in Northern Ireland, and this provision was accordingly made in order that an insured person might not be prejudiced by the fact that he had worked for a time in that country. But as soon as the Bill of 1925 was published the Government of Northern Ireland announced that they proposed to have a similar scheme. That being the position, the right course obviously was to make provision in the schemes of both countries for the institution of reciprocal arrangements under which periods of insurance, contributions paid, and residence in one country should, for the purposes of qualification for pensions in the other country, count as weeks of insurance, contributions paid, and residence in that other country. A Government Amendment, which became Section 33 of the Act of 1925, was accordingly introduced for the purpose of authorising the making of reciprocal arrangements and any necessary financial adjustments in connection therewith.
§ The inclusion of this provision rendered unnecessary the special provision made by subsection (7) of Section 44, but that provision was by inadvertence allowed to stand. Reciprocal arrangements have been in operation since the Acts came into force in the two countries in January, 1926, but the question of financial adjustments in connection with the arrangements has only recently been taken up. So long, however, as sub- 585 section (7) of Section 44 is in existence, the scope of the financial adjustments which can be made under the reciprocal arrangements is severely restricted, and it is desirable for the equitable working of the reciprocal arrangements between the two countries that the restriction should be removed. That is the reason for this Amendment. I therefore move the Amendment standing in my name.
§
Amendment moved—
After Clause 9, page 9, line 19, insert the said new clause.—(Lord Rochester.)
§ On Question, Amendment agreed to.
§ Remaining clauses agreed to.
§ Schedules agreed to.
§
Title:
An Act to amend the enactments relating to National Health Insurance; to amend the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925, by making provision for the payment of pensions thereunder in respect of the insurance of persons who cease to be insured within twelve months before death or before attaining the ago of sixty-five, and by modifying the statutory conditions applicable to such pensions in the case of persons who, after, ceasing to be insured, again become insured; and for purposes connected therewith.
§ LORD ROCHESTER moved, after "become insured", to insert "to repeal subsection (7) of Section forty-four of the said Act." The noble Lord said: This Amendment is consequent upon the one which your Lordships have just accepted. I 586 suggest that it is necessary to insert these words. I beg to move.
§
Amendment moved—
In the Title, page 1, line 11, after ("become insured") insert ("to repeal subsection (7) of Section forty-four of the said Act"). —(Lord Rochester.)
§ On Question, Amendment agreed to.
§ Title, as amended, agreed to.