§ Mr. RHYS DAVIESasked the Minister of Labour, as representing the Ministry of Health, whether he can give any figures showing the loss of contributions to those approved societies covering persons engaged in segregated trades and occupations: and whether he proposes to take into consideration the serious position of such societies when the next valuation takes place?
§ Major BOYD-CARPENTEROnly a small proportion of the fifteen million persons insured under the National Health Insurance Acts are members of approved societies which are confined to persons engaged in certain trades or occupations. I am aware that in some of these societies the average number of contributions per member has, during the last two years, fallen below the normal by reason of unemployment amongst the members, but the actual figures for individual societies cannot be published. The position has already been met to some extent by the National Health Insurance Act, 1922, under Section 3 of which a sum of about £250,000 will be made available to societies out of the Unclaimed Stamps Account. If, on the next valuation, a society has a deficiency which can be shown to be attributable to loss of contribution income by reason of 713W serious unemployment amongst its members, it will be open to the society to make a claim for relief from the Central Fund.