§ Mr. MASTERMANasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much Government grant will be required by the operations of the Unemployment Insurance Acts, No. 1 and No. 3, the (Medical Benefit) Insurance Act, and the Unemployment Insurance Bill (No. 2) if that Bill becomes law substantially in its present form; how much of the amount required for this year is provided in the Civil Service Estimates; and what will be the total cost of this national expenditure in a normal year?
Mr. GRAHAMNo additional Government grant will be required by the op rations of the Unemployment Insurance Acts No. 1 and No. 3 during the present financial year. The total additional charge which these two Acts impose on the Exchequer is estimated at £700,000. As regards Unemployment Insurance Bill (No. 2), I would refer the right hon. Member to paragraph 11 of the Report I made by the Government Actuary on the Financial Provisions of the Bill (Command Paper 3109), which deals with the extra cost to the Exchequer. The only extra charge in the current financial year will be in respect of the inclusion of boys and girls between 14 and 16. This will amount to about £220,000 for the half year commencing in October next, and has not been provided for in the current Estimates. The National Health Insurance (Cost of Medical Benefit) Bill is estimated to involve an additional charge on the Exchequer of £392,000 in a normal year, but in the current year Supplementary Estimates will be presented in due course to provide £490,000 for the period of 15 months, from 1st. January, 1924, to the 31st March, 1925, no provision having been included for this purpose in the current Estimates.