§ Mr. AUBREY HERBERTasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether soldiers, if they fall ill when serving with their regiments, have to pay the usual 7d. per day for hospital stoppages besides their rate under the National Insurance Act; and what extra benefit, if any, such men get in exchange for this extra payment which they have to compulsorily make under the Act?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe deductions made from a soldier's pay and the contributions of the Army Council under Section 46 of the National Insurance Act are the sums actuarially required to provide maternity benefit during service and a full transfer value on discharge. A soldier does not get nor is he required to pay for medical, sickness, or sanatorium benefit while serving. No part, therefore, of the benefits provided by the National Insurance Act is covered by any hospital stoppages, which are made for other purposes
§ Mr. AUBREY HERBERTasked the Secretary to the Treasury what benefit, in event of illness, soldiers, who have served less than twelve years with the regiment, or have served seven years with the regiment and less than five on the Reserve, who have elected to serve the full twenty-one years with the regiment but fall ill before that period has been completed, and who have served their full twenty-one years, respectively, can get under the National 996W Health Insurance Act; and if, in the case of men who have elected to serve the twenty-one years, and who cease their contributions before that period is complete, those men lose the whole sum they have previously had to compulsorily contribute?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe length of a soldier's service does not affect his position under the National Insurance Act. So long as deductions are made from pay, whether a man has re-engaged or is in his first period of service, he is entitled to maternity benefit and a transfer value is built up for him; and he only pays the actuarial equivalent for these two insurances. If on re-engaging he elects not to have deductions made, he ceases to be insured, and consequently ceases to be entitled to benefit and his position is identical with that of civilians who lapse from insurance. If, however, on discharge he is unable to obtain admission to an approved society owing to the state of his health, he becomes entitled to benefits at the ordinary rate and subject to the ordinary conditions out of the Navy and Army Insurance Fund.