Mr. Amoryasked the Minister of National Insurance if he is aware that exaction of the full weekly National Insurance contributions may bear hardly on part-time and out workers; and if he will so frame the regulations as not to discourage these kinds of employment.
§ Mr. J. GriffithsI have no power to make regulations varying the weekly rate of contributions according to the amount 93W of work done. The incidence of the contributions upon part-time workers was, however, considered by the National Insurance Advisory Committee in their review of the draft regulations relating to classification. In their report, a copy of which I am sending to the hon. Member, the Committee, whilst not recommending an immediate change in the proposed provisions for disregarding part-time employment, expressed the view that the question should be reconsidered in the light of experience. I accepted this recommendation and the regulations now before the House were made accordingly.
Outworkers who are not employed under a contract of service are classified as self-employed persons. The Committee also considered their position, and recommended that the regulations should not be amended so as to transfer them to the class of employed persons. This recommendation
— Births. Vaccinated. Exempted. Postponed by Medical Certificate. Died Un-vaccinated. Percentage Vaccinated. 1945 … … 687,165 278,453* 253,752 5,105 23,782 40.5 1946 … … 823,627 342,996† 281,730 6,138 27,646 41.6 * Exclusive of 1,733 infants insusceptible to vaccination. † Exclusive of 2,766 infants insusceptible to vaccination. The number of infants neither vaccinated nor exempted cannot be positively stated, though some approximation may be deduced from the above figures.
The only particulars for the year 1947 yet available are as follow: Number of Births (provisional)—886,799; Number of children under 14 successfully vaccinated—475,445: Statutory declarations of conscientious objection—283,417. The last two figures may include some children born before 1st January, 1947.