Mr. PALMER:

Up to the time of the 1923 Act, a friendly society and a company came to a very large extent under two separate forms of legislation. Nothing has done more to bring friendly societies—and, of course, that term embraces trade unions as well—into line with proprietary insurance companies than the 1923 Act has done, and, as has already been pointed out, the purpose of this Bill is again to bring the friendly societies into conformity with that Act. The companies have, since that enactment, been practising this extended scale and are issuing policies under it, whereas the friendly societies have been prevented from doing so until this legislation has been amended. Moreover, I want to remind the House that this Amendment to extend the scale, to allow a larger scope for insurances on the lives of children, was not a case put up by the insurance agents or, indeed, by the insurance companies or the insurance friendly societies It was rather a case that was put up in this House, and I would remind hon. Members that the proposed Amendment to extend the sum from £10 to £15 was put up in this House, I think, as late as on the Report stage. I wish to submit that, since this House has determined this scale, and by far the larger portion of the concerns transacting industrial assurance are already operating, the least the House can do is to enable all concerned to come into uniformity.

No one deprecates legislation by reference more than do insurance men themselves, and it is becoming increasingly difficult year by year for us to keep pace with these Acts, but I see in the 1923 Act a real attempt to bring the big friendly societies and the insurance companies into a degree of uniformity. At least, this much obtains, that we come under one Commissioner to-day, whereas formerly part of the business came under the Board of Trade and another part under the Registrar of Friendly Societies. I hope, as the thing develops, that experience will lead to more uniformity, which in turn will enable us, perhaps, to make the law clearer and proof against any mal-administration, which was largely the purpose of the 1923 Act. I support the Second Reading of the Bill.