§ Sir W. Beveridgeasked the Minister without Portfolio how many weekly contributions each year have been assumed by the Government Actuary in determining the amount of the weekly contribution required in each of the various insurance classes under the Government's proposals for social insurance; how many weeks on an average each year of unemployment, sickness, holidays and other causes of nonpayment of contributions the Government Actuary has allowed for; and whether, in these respects any distinction and, if so, what distinction, has been made between Classes I, II and IV.
§ Sir W. JowittAs indicated in paragraph 13 of Appendix I to the White Paper on Social Insurance, the rates of contribution for Classes I, II and IV have been determined with due allowance for the differing conditions governing excusal of contributions in the three Classes and taking into account the varying incidence of sickness at each age. For Class I the allowance for non-payment of contributions due to sickness (including maternity in the case of women), industrial injury and unemployment amounts to about 6½ weeks a year for men and six weeks for women, averaged over the population brought into the scheme. For Class II the allowance, on account of sickness only, is about 2½ weeks for men and three weeks for women. Class IV contributions are payable during sickness, but are excused to women in receipt of widow's (including guardian's) benefits.