§ Colonel DAYasked the Minister of Health the number of cases under the Industrial Assurance Act, 1923, that have been submitted to the Industrial Assurance Commissioner in the 12 months preceding the last convenient date; how many of these were submitted by one party to the assurance and how many by both parties; and whether it is proposed to introduce legislation enabling all persons holding insurance or assurance policies to submit any cases of dispute to the Assurance Commissioner so that they may be settled without reference to the Courts?
§ Mr. R. McNEILLThe number of cases under the Industrial Assurance Act, 1923, submitted to the Industrial Assurance Commissioner dining the 12 months ended 6th July, 1924, was 2,632. The second part of the question presumably distinguishes between those cases which can be submitted by one party only and those which must be submitted by or with the consent of both parties in order that the Commissioner may have jurisdiction. It often happens that a case is submitted by both parties, where it could have been submitted by one only, and on the other hand a case is frequently submitted by one party only where it should have been submitted by both but in fact the other party raises no objection to the jurisdiction. No separate account therefore has428W been or could be usefully kept of the two classes of cases. The answer to the third part of the question is in the negative.