Mr. T. WILSONasked the Prime Minister if he will alter the Regulation, recompulsorily insured persons, so that clerks, etc., whose salary, with bonus and war wage, is over £160 a year may be placed in the same position regarding the provisions of the Insurance Acts as artisans whose wages exceed £160 a year?
§ Major ASTORI have been asked to reply. The restriction referred to in the question is not due to any Regulation and cannot be altered by me as suggested by the hon. Member. It is a statutory limit imposed by the Act of 1911, and could only be altered by Parliament. No such limit is imposed by the Act in the case of persons employed by way of manual labour. But I think Parliament would wish to consider the large issues involved in the hon. Member's suggestion very seriously before adopting it, since it would mean bringing within the scope of the National Health Insurance Acts all persons, wholly irrespective of income or kinds of occupation, whose employment, apart from those considerations, is employment within the meaning of those Acts.