§ Mr. DEVLINasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has received a petition desiring him to permit the allocation of a proportion of the State insurance funds in aid of the 25,000 women workers 189W in Belfast who are affected by the present crisis; whether he has given this matter his consideration; and, if so, with what result?
§ Mr. WEDGWOOD BENNThe contributions paid under Part I. of the National Insurance Act are required to provide the sickness, disablement, maternity, and other benefits of that part of the Act, and could not be used for any other purpose without placing approved societies generally in a position of inability to meet their obligations. If, therefore, effect were to be given to the desire expressed in the petition to which the hon. Member refers the immediate result would be to alleviate distress in one form at the risk of creating distress of another and more acute kind. I am unable to agree that it would be in the interest of the industrial classes to supplement the funds available for the prevention and relief of distress through unemployment at the expense of the National Health Insurance Fund, upon the maintenance of which the payment of sickness, disablement, and maternity benefits necessarily depends.