§ Mr. Hunterasked the Minister of Social Security if she is aware that the provisions of the earnings-related scheme for unemployment and sickness militate against members of local authorities, who, when unemployed or on sickness benefit, have little or no supplement to flat-rate benefit due to low earnings in their regular employment during the previous year because of attending to council business; and whether she will take steps to end this anomaly.
§ Mr. LoughlinThe structure of this scheme was kept as simple as possible so that it could be started quickly. Both earnings-related supplements and the graduated contributions needed to finance them are therefore related to earnings assessable to Schedule E and taxed through P.A.Y.E.