§ Captain PLUGGEasked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the fact that administrative expenses in connection with unemployment insurance for agricultural workers are to cost one-eighth of the contributions, he can state whether this is above the average for unemployment insurance administration generally or below it?
§ Mr. E. BROWNUnder Clause 9 of the Unemployment Insurance (Agriculture) Bill the cost of administration of unemployment insurance as a whole will be determined and this total sum will be apportioned by the Minister, with the concurrence of the Treasury, between the general account and the agricultural account of the Unemployment Fund. The amount to be charged to either account is subject to the proviso that it shall not exceed one-eighth of the net receipts credited to the account. This proviso is already applicable to the insurance account of the fund and in recent years the cost of administration has fallen below the amount of one-eighth of the net income; but it should be observed that owing to the lower rates of contributions under the agricultural scheme the sums of money represented by one-eighth of the net receipts is about one-half of that in respect of the same number of contributors under the general scheme.