Major BARNESasked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been called to the case of Mr. William S. G. Wear, a naval architect, of Walkerville, Newcastle-on-Tyne, who, holding an exemption certificate under the National Health Insurance Act, was compelled to pay contributions under the Unemployment Insurance Act whilst holding a temporary appointment extending over a period of four months from the 1st October, 1921, to the llth February, 1922, and was subsequently granted an unemployment exemption card; whether repeated applications to his Department for a refund of these contributions, amounting to 13s., have been refused; and whether, in view of the fact that Mr. Wear has been unemployed for a considerable period, and it is extremely unlikely that he can ever benefit by the provisions of the Act, and that the small sum in question is one of substantial importance to him, he will give instructions that the contributions deducted from Mr. Wear's wages during the, temporary appointment in question be returned to him?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI understand that the contributions which Mr. Wear claims should be repaid to him were paid prior to the date on which he obtained exemption from unemployment insurance. He already held an exemption certificate under the National Health Insurance Acts, but this did not exempt him from the payment of unemployment insurance contributions. If an employed person holding such a certificate desires to obtain exemption from unemployment insurance, he must make a definite application that the certificate granted to him under the National Health Insurance Acts shall be applied to unemployment insurance. The contributions paid by Mr. Wear before he was granted 1245W exemption from unemployment insurance were properly payable, and I have no power to authorise a refund of these contributions.