conviction to a fine not exceeding ten pounds or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months, or on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years:

Provided that no person shall be deemed to have committed an offence under this section or at common law by reason only of his having ceased work or refused to continue to work or to accept employment.

(3) Where any person is charged before any court with an offence under this section no further proceedings in respect thereof shall be taken against him without the consent of the Attorney-General except such as the court may think necessary by remand (whether in custody or on bail) or otherwise to secure the safe custody of the person charged, but this subsection shall not apply to Scotland or to any prosecution instituted by or on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

(4) The provisions of the Trade Disputes Act, 1906, shall not, nor shall the second proviso to subsection (1) of section two of the Emergency Powers Act, 1920, apply to any act done in contemplation or furtherance of a strike or lock-out which is by this Act declared to be illegal, and any such act shall not be deemed for the purposes of any enactment to be done in con templation or furtherance of a trade dispute.

DICU

MON

DROIT

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BILL, 1927.

REPORT

by the Government Actuary on the FINANCIAL PROVISIONS OF THE BILL.

Presented by the Minister of Labour to
Parliament by Command of His Majesty.
November, 1927.

LONDON:

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE To be purchased directly from H.M. STATIONERY OFFICE at the following addresses: Adastral House, Kingsway, London, W.C.2; 120, George Street, Edinburgh; York Street, Manchester; 1, St. Andrew's Crescent, Cardiff;

15, Donegall Square West, Belfast;

or through any Bookseller.

1927.

Price 2d. net.

Cmd. 2966,

Report by the Government Actuary on the Financial Provisions of the Bill.

Government Actuary's Department,

Treasury Chambers,
Whitehall, S.W.1.

21st October, 1927.

The Right Hon. Sir ARTHUR STEEL-MAITLAND, Bart, M.P.,
Minister of Labour.

SIR,

In compliance with your request I have examined the financial provisions of the Unemployment Insurance Bill, 1927, and submit the following report thereon.

1. The Bill proceeds by way of amendment of the existing Unemployment Insurance Acts and, save in respect of young men and young women between the ages of 18 and 21 years, maintains the status quo in regard to contributions. The alterations in respect of benefits are somewhat more extensive. The principal clauses affecting the financial position are as follows:—

Clause (2). Rates of contribution in the case of young men and young women.

Clause (4). Rates of unemployment benefit.

Clause (5).-Amendment as to statutory conditions for receipt of benefit.

Clause (12).-Transitional provisions.

2. These provisions, with such of the relevant existing conditions as remain unchanged, may be briefly summarised as follows:(a) Weekly Rates of Contribution.

Rates payable till expiry of the Maximum rates payable after the "extended period" terminates.

"extended period."

The extended period is defined by Section 4 of the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1925. In effect it is the period to elapse between the present time and the end of the insurance year during which it is certified that the Unemployment Fund, in the opinion of the Treasury, having regard to all the circumstances of the case, is solvent.

66

In regard to the rates of contribution payable after the end of the extended period" it should be explained that the rates quoted in the above table are those prescribed under the existing law as maximum rates. (Section 4 (2) of the Act of 1923 as amended by Section 4 (2) of the Act of 1925.) Lower rates may be determined by the Minister, under regulations made by him with the consent of the Treasury, being such rates as appear to him from time to time to be necessary. With reference to young men and young women I am instructed that it should be assumed, for the purpose of the estimates, that whatever may be the rates fixed for persons over 21, the rates for these classes will be lower rates, bearing similar proportions to the rates for adults as will obtain during the "extended period ".

(b) Weekly Rates of Unemployment Benefit.

Class of Persons to whom rate applies.

(i) Persons of the age of 21 years and upwards:

Rate of Benefit.

S. d.

200

17 0

15

...

2 0

(iii) Persons aged between 16 and 18:

(iv) Wife or other adult dependant...

...

(v) Dependent child under 14 (or 16 if under fulltime instruction in a day school) ...

...

The above rates of benefit represent a reduction of 1s. a week in the case of men over the age of 21; on the other hand, the benefit payable in respect of an uninsured wife or other adult dependant has been increased by 2s. a week. It appears from the statistics collected by the Ministry that 50 per cent. of men claimants have an adult dependant, and therefore, that, so far as the total cost of benefits is concerned, these changes balance each other.

(c) Amendment of Statutory Conditions for receipt of Benefit.

The chief amendment under this heading is a new first statutory condition requiring the payment of 30 contributions during the two years immediately preceding the date on which application for benefit is made. This condition will be re-applied at quarterly