§ Mr. McGHEEasked the Secretary to the Treasury what steps are being taken, with a view to assisting approved societies in calculating the duration of sickness benefit of members who are seamen, to keep a record of the period of illness of any seamen for whom the shipowner is liable to defray the expense of such illness?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe Insurance Commissioners are in consultation with the Board of Trade as to the most convenient method whereby the records of sickness required to be kept under the Merchant Shipping Acts may be made available to assist societies in calculating the commencement and duration of the sickness benefit of their members under the National Insurance Act.
§ Mr. McGHEEasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that an approved society having seamen who are under articles as members has no means of ascertaining which of the 1,700 cards of deserters, etc., received by the National Health Insurance Commissioners (England) may belong to members of that society; and whether he will therefore issue at the end of each quarter a printed list of such cards containing the name and other particulars on the cards in order to assist in identification?
§ Mr. MASTERMANA society can ascertain whether any of its members' cards are at the office of the Commission by making inquiry upon the special forms provided for the purpose, which, if not already supplied, will be sent on application. Such inquiries may be addressed to the Commission periodically after a reasonable lapse of time from the date of issue of the contribution card to the member, and the society is not expected to have definite knowledge of the fact that its member has died or been discharged or deserted before making such inquiry. These arrangements1024W I appear fully to meet the case, and to render the publication of such a list unnecessary.