§ Mr. PERKINSasked the President of the Board of Trade whether, under the National Insurance Act, Part II., an adult workman employed by three employers, each for two days in a week, has to suffer a total deduction of 6d. from his total week's wages while, if he were employed by one employer for a week, the deduction would be 2½d.
Mr. ROBERTSONThe answer to this question is, generally speaking, in the affirmative. The larger payment in respect of casual labourers is justified by their much higher risk of unemployment, and of course it gives them a proportionately larger claim to unemployment benefit. I would, however, call the hon. Member's attention to the provisions of Section 99 of the Act, which empowers the Board of Trade to make arrangements 2927W with employers under which separate periods of employment such as those described may, under certain conditions, be treated, for the purpose of contributions, as continuous periods of employment with one employer. I am sending the hon. Member, a copy of the Regulations made by the Board of Trade under this Section, together with a Memorandum issued on the same subject.