Part of the debate – in the House of Commons am ar 15 Gorffennaf 1925.
the hon. Member has moved this Amendment. I fully expected that it would be moved from some quarter of the House in any case, because, at first sight, it does seem a very strong order that a husband or wife may be called as a witness, the one to give evidence against the other. The real explanation is that you have to try to protect your insurance scheme against fraud, and that in many cases the wife or husband is practically the only person who can give evidence which will enable you to clear up a case. This fact has been recognised already. Possibly the hon. Member is not aware that in the Unemployment Insurance Act of 1922, in Section 11, there is a precisely similar provision. Therefore, we are not creating a new precedent, but following an old one.