Clause 17. — (Arrangements with associations of employed persons which make payments to members while unemployed.)

Part of Orders of the Day — Unemployment Insurance Bill. – in the House of Commons am ar 9 Gorffennaf 1920.

Danfonwch hysbysiad imi am ddadleuon fel hyn

them in. There is very little more in them than the making perfectly clear, now that the main position has been admitted by the House, of a point which was a little obscure. There are at the present time three classes of approved societies. Under the Insurance Act of 1911 there are the societies and other bodies which were established before the Act came into operation, and which were approved at that time, whether they were trade unions or friendly societies; and there is the friendly society which, while not approved as a whole, has a separate section approved for the purpose of dealing specially with insurance. Then there is the entirely new class of society set up by the Health Insurance Act. There is certainly no doubt with regard to the first two, and I think that, as regards the third, namely, the class set up under the Health Insurance Act, there would not be much difficulty about them, provided that they satisfy the conditions of the Clause—this is very important, and I hope my hon. Friend has not overlooked it—in regard to their qualifications for the exercise of the powers which the House has now decided to give them. These words are really not dangerous. My right hon. Friend knows, of course, that these societies have to pay unemployed benefit out of their own funds, to the extent of one-third of the State benefit, and they have to be societies of employed persons. They must satisfy all the conditions precedent which the approved society has to satisfy. I confess I do not see why, the main position having been admitted by the House, these words should not be added.