§ Mr. WILLIAM THORNEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is prepared to make arrangements so that meetings of the Courts of Referees under Part II. of the National Health Insurance Act can be held during the evening, with a view to giving workmen's representatives greater opportunity of attending such meetings?
Mr. ROBERTSONThe point raised by my hon. Friend will be borne in mind when the arrangements for the meetings of these Courts are being made.
§ Mr. WILLIAM THORNEalso asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that Mr. Henry Hatton, of Chesterfield, was duly nominated for the Court of Referees for the Chesterfield area, that his nomination paper was signed by twenty-five men who had worked in an insured trade in accordance with the period for qualification, that he was informed by the local Labour Exchange official that the nomination paper was in order, and that he was afterwards informed that the paper was invalid; if he is aware that insured workmen at Clay Cross, Staveley, and Birmingham, have refused to vote in consequence of this disqualification of Mr. Hatton's nomination; and if he intends to take action in the matter?
Mr. ROBERTSONAccording to the rules the nomination form of a candidate must be signed by twenty-five workmen all belonging to the same trade group for which he is nominated. Mr. Hatton's nomination form was found not to comply with this requirement and was therefore invalid. I am not aware that the insured workmen referred to refused to vote in consequence of the disqualification of Mr. Hatton's nomination, but in any event it is not practicable to take any action in the matter, since this would be obviously unfair to the candidates who were validly nominated.