London, Nov. 15.
The publication to-day of the! provisions of the Government's Unemployment Insurance Bill, which the House of Commons will discuss next week, opens up the prospect of the Government being faced with opposition, not only by Conservatives and Liberals, but also by members of the Left Wing of the Labour Party, whose demand for £1 per week foran unemployed man, half-a sovereign for his wite and five shillings for each child has not been fulfilled. the Bill had provided for ti carrying out of this scheme, woud have entailed a total contribution by the Exchequer £36,000,000, whereas the Bill will involve a total charge to the Exchequer this year of £24,500,000 compared with £12,000,000 provided in the Estimates for 1929-30, Most of the increase goes to extend "the transitional period" for the payment of " benefit to persons not possessing thirty contributions. This is designed to obviate the risk of depriving 120,000 persons of benefit in 1980, Besides increasing the benefits for] wives of unemployed persons and young persons, the Bill repeals the condition that those "not genuinely seeking work" should not receive any benefit and substitutes requirement of proof that suitable work available before the claimant is disqualified, The Bill also provides for the lowering of the insurance age to 15 when the lowest age at which a person may leave school is raised thereto in April 1931, It is interesting to note that the Insurance. Fund is at present} 436,850,000 in debt.
It is understood that the Government proposes to deal separately with the question of unemployable persons with a view to relieving the Insurance Fund of the Burden they constitute—Reuter,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.