§ Mr. SNOWDENasked the Solicitor-General what action it is proposed to take to stop industrial insurance companies from sending out notices to policy holders stating that arrears must be paid up within fourteen days or the policy will lapse, which many policy holders are permitting, being ignorant of their rights under the Courts Emergency Act?
§ Sir G. CAVEIt is understood that these notices are given in order to comply with Section 3 of the Collecting Societies and Industrial Assurance Companies Act, 1896. In the case of small policies falling within Section 1 of the Courts (Emergency Powers) Act, 1914, the notices are not effective unless and until application is made to the Court, which has power under the Act to grant relief in cases where the failure to pay premiums is due to circumstances attributable to the present War; but, as in some instances, the failure to pay premiums may not be due to that cause, it is not considered that the companies should be prevented from issuing the statutory notice.