§ Mr. ASHLEYasked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been drawn to paragraph 602 on unemployment insurance in the Report of the Royal Commission on 1560W the Poor Law, which states that, owing partly to want of time and partly to the absence within the Commission of expert and actuarial experience upon insurance, the Commissioners have not attempted to formulate a scheme, and that it will require close general investigation and knowledge of local conditions before the foundation of a general or a national system of insurance can be safely laid; and, if so, whether he has considered the recommendation of the Commissioners that a small Commission or Departmental Committee of experts and representative" of existing trade benefit organisations should be appointed, with an instruction to frame as quickly as possible a scheme or schemes for consideration?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI am aware of the paragraph referred to. Since the Report of the Royal Commission the Board of Trade have given very careful study to the question of unemployment insurance, with the aid of the best actuarial advice obtainable, and proposals with regard to this matter will shortly be laid before this House.