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National Insurance

Volume 463: debated on Tuesday 5 April 1949

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Deserted Wives (Payments)

24.

asked the Minister of National Insurance the amount paid to the wives and children of husbands in desertion during 1946, 1947 and 1948 respectively; and what amounts have been recovered.

I regret the information required is not available.

Is my right hon. Friend really informing the House that the country is willing to pay out these amounts to the deserted wives without even taking up any accounts?

No. My hon. Friend asked about the amount paid in 1946, 1947 and 1948, but the Assistance Board has been responsible for assistance generally only since 5th July of last year. We have no figures about the earlier years, and we shall not have figures about this year until some time later.

Disablement Benefit Case, Brighton

25.

asked the Minister of National Insurance why Mr. Ronald Taylor of 88, Coleman Street, Brighton, has had to wait over eight months since his accident for a decision concerning his disablement benefit.

If the hon. Member is implying that Mr. Ronald Taylor had to wait eight months for his industrial injury benefits I think he is under a misapprehension. Injury benefit was paid to Mr. Taylor from the date of the accident up to 9th February, when he became eligible for disablement benefit. I regret that, owing to some delay over the report of the medical board, disablement benefit was not actually paid until 30th March, but in the meantime Mr. Taylor received sickness benefit.

Is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that this disablement benefit has only just been paid, after I put down the Question, and that Mr. Taylor has been asking for it for quite a long time and been told to wait and abide his time; is he further aware that there are many similar cases at the present time all over the country; and can something be done to hurry these matters up?

As I pointed out to the hon. Member, he is under a misapprehension. The disablement benefit does not become payable under the Act until the man has been disabled and received injury benefit for six months. There has been some delay in this case due to the fact that the medical board felt it desirable in the man's own interests, to have a further examination and report. It is not always in the man's interests to try to hurry up matters, when perhaps a further X-ray will be to his advantage.

Benefit (Local Authority Members)

26.

asked the Minister of National Insurance what instructions are issued to employment exchanges with regard to granting or refusing benefit to applicants who may be members of local authorities on the grounds that they are not available for work.

I have no power to issue instructions as to the manner in which the statutory conditions for benefit are to be applied either generally or in particular cases. It is for the independent statutory authorities to interpret these conditions with such guidance as may be derived from principles laid down in previous cases.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that in Scotland there are councillors who are sometimes our of em- ployment who are being refused benefit at the employment exchanges because it is said they are not available for employment, even in areas where the council meetings are held at night?

I understand that in two cases the payment of unemployment benefit on certain days has been varied, and that they have made an appeal. The cases are shortly to come before the tribunal, and it would be quite wrong of me to comment while the cases are awaiting hearing.

Maternity Grants

27.

asked the Minister of National Insurance if, in view of the expense of maintaining a large family of growing children, he will consider making some special provision, additional to family allowances, in cases in which more than three children are born at one birth.

We already pay a maternity grant of £16 where there are four children at a birth, and the family will be immediately eligible for family allowances. I do not know what further provision my hon. Friend thinks could appropriately be made under the schemes administered by my Department.

Would my right hon. Friend bear in mind that, in these extremely rare cases, parents often find themselves under an economic necessity to sign contracts with film companies and other outside bodies for the exploitation of their young children, as in the case of the christening and the disgraceful scenes which attended it at a church last week; and, in view of the harm that can result to the children, would he consider this suggestion sympathetically?

We have tried to cover, so far as is possible, these kinds of cases in the Act. Perhaps I should point out to my hon. Friend that if this birth had taken place before 5th July last the amount of maternity benefit would have been £2, whereas it is now £16.