§ Mr. Leckieasked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether, with a view to encouraging migration to the Dominions, he has considered the possibility of making a provision whereby prospective migrants would be able to keep their health and unemployment insurance alive while in the Dominions, the Home Government continuing to pay their proportionate share of the cost as at present?
Mr. M. MacDonaldThe question of the effect of schemes of social insurance on migration to the Dominions has constantly been under consideration in recent years. An Inter-Departmental Committee, whose report was presented to Parliament in March, 1926 (Cmd. 2608), reached the conclusion, for reasons which are set out in their report, that so far as Health and Unemployment Insurance are concerned, the retention in insurance of insured persons settling in the Dominions was impracticable. This conclusion was accepted by the Imperial Conference of 1926, and the position is unchanged to-day.