§ Mr. PETOasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether a man who will be seventy next May, and who is employed in the building trade, and who, having been a member of the Oddfellows for forty years, has continued his full subscription to his society, and whose employer has deducted 6½d. a week for sickness and unemployment benefit under the National Insurance Act, and who has now been ill for four weeks, is entitled to any benefit, either for sickness, medical, or unemployment, under the Act, and, if so, what; whether he is bound during sickness to contribute 7d. per week for sickness benefit under the Act and 5d. for unemployment; and, if so, when he becomes entitled to either under the Act, will he receive full benefit under the Act as well as the sick pay he is entitled to from his society?
§ Mr. MASTERMANIn the case of a man who was between sixty-five and seventy years of age on 15th July, 1912, contributions are payable under Part I. of the National Insurance Act while he is employed until he reaches the age of seventy, and in return he will be entitled to such benefits as may be determined by his society, or, in the case of a deposit contributor, by the insurance committee. He is not required to pay contributions during sickness. The benefits to which he becomes entitled under the Act are additional to any benefits to which he may be entitled by reason of any private insurance effected by him independently of the Act. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of a table of benefits which has been issued by the Commissioners for the guidance of societies, and has been adopted by the great majority of societies. As regards Part II. of the Act, a workman is not entitled to unemployment benefit if he is not capable of work or is 529W in receipt of any sickness or disablement benefit or disablement allowance under Part I, of the Act; usually, therefore, a workman who is ill would not be entitled to unemployment benefit. No contributions are payable under Part II. if the workman is sick and receives no wages.