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National Insurance Act

Volume 65: debated on Thursday 23 July 1914

The text on this page has been created from Hansard archive content, it may contain typographical errors.

Approved Societies

32.

asked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East if he is aware that approved societies, especially centralised societies without branches, have been put to considerable trouble by delay on the part of the Insurance Commissioners in issuing insurance cards and insurance books; that such societies, after making strenuous efforts to surmount their difficulties in this respect, have been informed by, or on behalf of, the Commissioners that the arrears cards which they are compelled by Statute to send to members in arrears, and which should have reached them by the 1st July, have not only not yet been printed but are not going to be printed until the Commissioners have come to a definite decision with regard to the proposed benevolent fund which they are constituting; and what steps is it proposed that approved societies shall take under such circumstances to carry out their statutory duties?

No, Sir. The postponement of the issuing of the arrears cards has been entirely due to the necessity of awaiting the decision of this House in regard to the proposed benevolent fund. This will affect the amount payable by individual insured persons, who would be put to serious inconvenience if they were to receive arrears cards and commence to pay their arrears before they could be informed as to the effect upon their arrears of any such fund. Immediately the decision of Parliament is known the Commissioners will proceed with the issue.

Can the hon. Gentleman say when the decision of Parliament is going to be asked for in regard to the benevolent fund?

33.

asked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East the reason why Circular No. 573 of the National Health Insurance Commission (Scotland) did not reach the societies to which it relates until the 7th July, seeing that it requires all branches of approved societies which are to be separately valued to notify the Commissioners not later than the 30th June that an application will be forthwith made to the registrar of friendly societies for the registration of such branches as separate units, and seeing that the Circular expressly states that contribution cards, returns of contributions, branch cash summaries, further supplies of registers, and all other documents will cease after 30th June to be issued to an unregistered branch in respect of which the requisite notification has not been previously furnished; and whether, under the circumstances, such cesser of issue is being insisted upon?

My right hon. Friend is informed by the Scottish Insurance Commissioners that the period named in the question was extended to the 18th July, and that no complaint has been received from the approved societies concerned.

Have all the approved societies concerned received information as to the postponing of this date?

Sanatorium Treatment

34.

asked whether the Commissioners have received resolutions passed by the insurance committees of London, Birmingham, Halifax, and other boroughs in support of the proposal to place the insured person who is being treated in a sanatorium in the same position as one who is being treated in an ordinary hospital as regards the application of his benefits; and, if so, what action do the Commissioners propose to take in this matter?

Resolutions of the kind described in the first part of the question have been received from certain insurance committees. With regard to the second part, the Commissioners have no power to take any action.

Do the Government propose to take any action in this matter by legislation or otherwise?

The hon. Member must put questions about legislation to the Leader of the House.

Unemployment Benefit

42.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that a member of the Nottingham branch of the National Union of Gas-workers' and General Labourers' Association named G. Crinage, No. 48/D30420, applied to receive unemployment benefit in February, 1913, and that the association received authority from the Board of Trade to pay sixty-five days' benefit; that on 26th June, 1914, the Board of Trade notified the association that the claim had been disallowed for the reason that the workman had not been habitually employed in an insured trade before the commencement of the Act; if he can state the reason for the delay in the notification to the association; and whether the association will suffer the loss of the amount of State benefit paid to the member in consequence of a mistake on the part of the Board of Trade in giving authority to pay?

I find on inquiry that at the date when Mr. Crinage claimed benefit it was thought that his occupation of needle straightening was an insured occupation and benefit was allowed in that belief. Subsequently a specific question as to the position of needle straighteners came before the Umpire, who at the end of May last decided that needle straightening was not an insured occupation. In accordance with this decision, the previous allowance of benefit to Mr. Crinage was revised in June. The general question of the position of associations in cases where a previous favourable decision given by the Board is revised by them on fresh facts coming to their notice has for some time been under consideration and arrangements will, I hope, shortly be brought into force for reimbursing to the associations, subject to certain conditions, any payments they may have made in such cases.

43.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what has been the cost to the Government of the abortive inquiry as to whether members of the saw-milling industry should be included in the unemployment section of the National Insurance Act; and if he is able to give an assurance that those engaged in this industry will not be included.

The inquiry in question stands adjourned at present in consequence of an expression of opinion by the Commissioner that the proposed Order would be ultra vires on a purely technical point. Proceedings at the instance of the Board of Trade are now pending in the High Court with a view to testing the legal question raised. In these circumstances it is obviously incorrect to describe the inquiry as abortive, and I can certainly give no assurance that the Order will not be made. The cost of the inquiry is not at present ascertainable.

When considering this matter, will the hon. Gentleman remember that all this increased cost on the home manufacture and working of timber is in favour of the foreign manufacturer and grower?

Does the hon. Gentleman know when the decision of the Court will be given?

Tuberculosis (Kirkintilloch)

70.

asked the Secretary for Scotland if he is aware of the impasse at Kirkintilloch in regard to the treatment of tuberculosis cases; is he aware that the local health authority have declined to become responsible for insured persons whose money has been received by the Insurance Act authorities, but who cannot get treatment by those authorities; is he further aware that the cases of Nellie and Robert Woods and Donald M'Phee constitute a public danger; and what steps he proposes to take to get the insurance committee to do its duty or the local health authority to relieve them of it?

It is the fact that the insurance committee of the county of Dumbarton have declined to recommend for sanatorium benefit certain insured persons suffering from tuberculosis, and that the local authority of the burgh of Kirkintilloch have not yet agreed to treat these cases. From the information before them the Local Government Board for Scotland are not satisfied that the cases of Nellie Woods and Donald McPhee are being properly treated, and they are in communication with the local authority on the whole subject.

Excessive Prescriptions (Northumberland)

90.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the chemists in Northumberland have been told by the Northumberland insurance committee that, should there be a deficit at the end of the year caused by excessive prescriptions, the chemists are the people who suffer, as their bills will not be paid; and if he will say what redress a chemist has if the doctors upon the panel prescribe beyond the limits of the regulations, and why is the chemist to be held responsible for the error?

My right hon. Friend is not aware of any such statement, the reports to which his attention has been drawn being to the effect that if excessive prescribing were permitted to continue, the chemists would suffer a loss. The Regulations contain provisions (to which the insurance committee also alluded) enabling the cost of excessive prescribing to be surcharged against the doctors responsible.

May I send the hon. Gentleman the official document which contains the very words embodied in my question?

Medical Regulations

30.

asked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East whether he has considered the effect which No. 5 of the medical regulations, which was made on the 10th January, 1914, has upon Regulation No. 26, made on the 9th January, 1914, and whether the regulation bearing the earlier numeral in substance repeals the latter; and what steps he proposes to take to render these regulations intelligible?

I would refer the hon. Member to Article 86 of the Medical Benefit Regulations dated the 10th January, 1914.

Cost Of Printing

31.

asked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East what is the total ascertained cost of the printing and issuing of regulations, circulars, instructions, and other printed matter by the Commissioners or the Joint Committee, and by insurance committees, or otherwise, purporting to have been so printed and issued pursuant to or in relation to the National Insurance Act; and whether charged against the Stationery Office or what other Department?

The cost of printing done on behalf of the Joint Committee and the several commissions to the 31st March last and borne upon the Stationery Office Vote was, approximately, £194,000. No information is available as to the expenditure of insurance committees on printing.