§ Mr. R. McNEILLasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the dissatisfaction of approved friendly societies with the provisions of the Unemployment Insurance Bill as introduced, by which some millions of employed persons will be compelled to take unemployment insurance either through Employment Exchanges or trade unions, with which many of them have no connection; whether by any amendment to the Bill it is proposed to remedy this defect by enabling unemployed insurance to be effected through the approved societies by the members thereof; and, if not, whether he will undertake to propose and carry such an amendment before the Bill becomes law?
§ Mr. PARKERI have been asked to reply to this question. The position is that an approved society will be able to enter into an arrangement for the payment of State benefit under Clause 17 of the Unemployment Insurance Bill, subject to the required conditions being satisfied. The chief of these conditions are that the society should provide out of its own funds unemployment benefit of not less than a specified amount, and that it should have an effective system for notifying to its unemployed members particulars of employment. The latter of these conditions is applied by Regulations to the corresponding arrangements made under the Unemployment Insurance Acts, 1911 to 1919, and would be similarly applied under the Bill.