Orders of the Day — Contributory Pensions Bill.

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons am ar 15 Gorffennaf 1925.

Danfonwch hysbysiad imi am ddadleuon fel hyn

Photo of Mr Leslie Hore-Belisha Mr Leslie Hore-Belisha , Plymouth, Devonport

We have just listened to a very brilliant election speech. This Amendment has followed a very peculiar course. It is noticeable that the Attorney-General has, so far, not taken part in this particular legal discussion, and I do hope he will straighten the matter out. I am sorry he did not hear the argument of the Leader of the Opposi- tion, because it seemed to be very damning. The position is that this Clause seeks to deprive the children of a man who has paid benefits from the benefits for which he has contributed, and it does so on this ground. It says if he is killed under another set of circumstances, against which he has also covered himself, the same kind of benefit cannot be given twice. The grounds upon which that extraordinary position are justified by the Minister are, that the National Health Insurance Act contains a provision which prevents a man from getting compensation for an accident. It is said that that is a logical position, because a man cannot be both in ill-health and suffering from an accident at the same time, whereas the Leader of the Opposition says that the National Health Insurance Act does cover accidents, but only accidents of a particular kind. The Workmen's Compensation Act covers accidents which arise out of a man's employment. If you are riding upon a bicycle and sustain an accident, it is perfectly true it is an accident, but, for the purpose of the National Health Insurance Act, it is considered as being ill-health. Therefore, the National Health Insurance Act is more generous than this Bill, because, although the man is not in the medical sense suffering from ill-health because he has sustained an accident, the Insurance Act says: "We will consider you are a person in ill-health, because, if we do not, you have absolutely no claim under the Workmen's Compensation Act, and, therefore, will not get a farthing."

Therefore, if my reading of the two Acts be correct—and I have neither of them before me—the argument of the right hon. Gentleman who speaks for the Government falls absolutely to the ground, and he will have to argue it upon some entirely different basis, namely, finance. But, after all, it is not his finance which is at stake in the Workmen's Compensation Act. Last night he refused to give pensions under this Bill to persons who are drawing disablement pensions, and the reason he gave to justify that anomaly was that you cannot pay State money twice over. He has not got that argument here. This money is not taxpayers' money, but is in both instances money for which the man and his employer have contributed week by week, and the right hon. Gentleman is benefiting by a scheme over which he has no control. The Workmen's Compensation Act is not financed by the Government, and yet the right hon. Gentleman wishes thereby to save money under this Bill. I would not object to it so strongly if it were the case of an old age pensioner at the age of 65, because a man could wait for five years and then get something; but. in this particular Amendment the children are at stake, and why should you penalise the children who have been bereft of their parents in circumstances of great sorrow, and who have a double struggle with which to put up, and, therefore, should have a double benefit, if anything at all? To both schemes contributions have been paid.

We have been given no figures by the Minister, but, whatever it might cost, it would make all the difference to these children and would give them a fairly comfortable position, which would recompense them, if anything; could recompense them, for the loss of a father, and would put them on the road of some sort of future; whereas this Bill seems to assume that 10s. is a princely fortune which is the largest sum of money a child can expect to receive. I do hope the Attorney-General will deal with the legal aspect of this matter, and say whether or not it is the ease that the National Health Insurance Act does not give benefit to those who fall within the Workmen's Compensation Act, because it draws a distinction between an accident which arises out of an employment and an accident or illness which arises from some entirely different cause.