Written Answers
Civil Service (Assistant Clerks)
asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether, on the subject of the claims of promotion, he is aware that assistant clerks (abstractor class) are allowed to reckon up to two years of their service as boy clerks towards the six years required for promotion to the Second Division and, when promoted, may reckon all their previous service as assistant clerks for leave purposes; and whether he will now reconsider the matter with the view of allowing the like period of two years at least to be counted towards the qualifying period for special increments under Clause 33 of the Order in Council, dated 10th January, 1910, and thereby give an assistant clerk promoted to the Second Division, who may show exceptional merit, an opportunity of receiving special increments at the hands of the head of his department without having to put in a minimum service of twelve years, six as boy clerk or assistant clerk, and six as Second Division clerk?
:I have nothing to add to the answer given to a similar question by the hon. Member on the 24th May.
National Insurance Bill
Suspended Benefit
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is intended by Clause 10, Sub-section (1), of the National Insurance Bill that insured persons whose right to benefit is suspended owing to arrears due to unemployment shall be transferred to the class of deposit contributors?
The answer is in the negative.
Right Of Appeal
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state to whom it is intended that the appeal mentioned in line 6, page 6, of the Memorandum on the National Insurance Bill shall be addressed, and by what provision of the Bill the right of appeal mentioned is given?
Some doubts have arisen as to whether the words of Clause 11 (b) permit of an appeal under Clause 50 to the Insurance Commissioners or to the referees appointed by them. An Amendment to effect this will, if necessary, be introduced.
Transfer Value
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what will be the position under the National Insurance Bill of a member of an approved society who, through lapses or otherwise, becomes transferred to deposit insurance; how can his transfer value, under Section 33 (a), be greater than his reserve value; and, if it is greater, will the difference carried to the Post Office fund be for the use of the individual or for the advantage of the Post Office fund as a whole?
If the Noble Lord will compare Clauses 25 and 40 he will see that in general the reserve value of any person entering insurance will be equal to his transfer value at the date of entrance. And seeing that up to a certain point the transfer value of an insured person will grow greater as he grows older, the transfer value at any subsequent date will usually exceed the reserve value. The excess will be carried under Clause 33 to the credit of the individual deposit contributor concerned, not to the Post Office fund as a whole.
Application Of Bill To Ireland
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the general council of the Irish county councils and the Catholic archbishops and bishops of Ireland at a meeting in Maynooth have declared the National Insurance Bill, however suitable to an industrial population such as that of Great Britain, to be quite inapplicable and even mischievous in the wholly different circumstances of Ireland; and whether he will defer to the almost unanimous expression of Irish opinion to this effect by excluding Ireland from the operation of the Bill and crediting Ireland with the Treasury contribution which would be payable under the Bill to be disposed of hereafter in a separate Bill or for such other purposes as Irish opinion may determine?
I will refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for the Enfield Division to-day.