§ Mr. R. Gibsonasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the decision of the Admiralty under which Admiralty industrial employés not covered by existing contributory schemes may arrange for contributions to local hospital funds by means of deductions from their pay is to be extended to all industrial employés of the Government; and, if so, what services will be affected and how many workers in each service?
§ Lieut.-Colonel ColvilleThe intention is that the scheme of deductions from pay 431W for hospital purposes through a central organisation should be made available to all industrial staffs at home directly employed by the Government provided, of course, that the bodies to whom contributions are desired to be made elect to co-operate with the central organisation. As the hon. and learned Member will appreciate, time may be taken in setting up the necessary machinery, the details of which are under discussion with the British Hospitals Contributory Schemes Association. The number of industrial employés of Government Departments on 1st April, 1937, was 173,000.