was 63, and the number of outworkers.employed by them did not exceed 2000. As compared with last year's figures there is no material change. Half-Yearly Stamping of Contribution Cards. On making a sufficient deposit, employers may defer the stamping of the cards of their employees until the end of the half-year. The number of employers under this arrangement at the end of the year was 61, which was the number at the end of the previous year, and the number of employees included was 42,841, an increase of 1177. The value of stamps issued during the year was £86,391. Derelict Contribution Cards. On receipt of lost cards in the Department, every effort is made to secure that they are forwarded to the proper quarter. Where it is not possible thus to dispose of them, they are retained until the lapse of twelve months after their receipt or of three years from the end of their period of currency, whichever is the later. Cards not claimed during that time are destroyed and the value of the contributions is dealt with as directed by section 29 of the 1918 Act. 258,000 lost cards were received in the Department from the commencement of national health insurance to the end of 1923. Of these 112,000 (or 43 per cent.) were returned to the contributors or forwarded to the relative approved societies, etc. Of the remainder, the value of the contributions on 126,000, representing £26,120, was dealt with as indicated above, and the remaining 20,000 were retained in the Department awaiting disposal. 10,700 lost cards reached the Department during 1923, of which 4500 (or 42 per cent.) were forwarded to the correct destination. EXEMPT PERSONS. At 31st December, 1923, the number of persons holding current certificates of exemption was 4720, as compared with 4633 on the corresponding date last year. The number of persons holding certificates issued under the provisions of the National Health Insurance Act, 1919, i.e. certificates issued to insured persons remunerated at a rate exceeding £160 but not exceeding £250 a year, was reduced from 843 to 714 during the year. This, however, was more than balanced by an increase in the number of certificates held on ground of dependence upon some other person for a livelihood (from 1194 to 1439). Prior to the year under review certificates of exemption granted on grounds of dependency upon some other person for a livelihood or upon an uninsurable occupation were renewed on their expiry for a period of only one year. We have decided to extend this renewal period up to the statutory limit of five years where there is evidence of fairly stable conditions, e.g. where the claimants can show that their circumstances are such that there is a reasonable probability that they will remain qualified for exemption for a period greater than a year. The particular classes of persons concerned are indentured professional apprentices, married women mainly dependent upon their husbands, and crofters who would be excepted from insurance but for some minor insurable employment. Statistics of the number and manner of disposal of claims for exemption and the number of certificates cancelled, together with the reasons for cancellation, are shown below. Number of claims for exemption received and dealt with since Statement showing, as at 31st December, 1923, the number of certificates of exemption which have been cancelled and the ... 596 2,364 Gone away"-Claimant cannot be traced Certificates subsequently found to have been claimed ... ... ... ... in error Benefit of Exempt Persons. 196 1,988 22,062 The number of persons entitled to medical benefit under the Exempt Persons' Regulations at the 1st October, 1923, was 4866, of whom approximately 500 were persons who had ceased to hold operative certificates of exemption, but who were entitled to continue in benefit for a certain period subsequent to the cancellation of their certificates. We made provision by an amendment of the Exempt Persons' Regulations for the transference to the Exempt Persons' Fund for the period from 1st April, 1922, to 31st December, 1923, of that portion of the cost of medical benefit and related services which had previously been met from Exchequer Special Grants. This amendment brought the position of Exempt Persons into conformity with that of insured persons, the whole cost of whose medical benefit was transferred for a similar period to approved societies by the National Health Insurance Act, 1922. Exemption under the Unemployment Insurance Acts. Of the 4720 current health insurance certificates, 4002 were valid for the purposes of obtaining exemption from unemployment insurance, and in 2305 or nearly 58 per cent. the certificates were so applied. Last year the percentage of applied certificates was 50 per cent. On behalf of the Ministry of Labour we examined and provisionally adjudicated on 1153 claims to exemption from unemployment insurance alone during the past twelve months. These were disposed of as follows: An unusually large number of claims was received during the year from seasonal women fish workers. 380 claims from this class were examined and generally the claims were well-founded. The total number of claims dealt with by us since the inception of the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1920, is 6533, and in 4644 of these we have recommended the issue of certificates. Taking into consideration, however, the periodic cancellations which have taken place, numbering 2060, there was, according to our records, a net total of 2584 persons in Scotland who held current unemployment insurance exemption certificates at 31st December last, and a total of 4889 persons including those exempted by virtue of the application of health insurance certificates. DEPOSIT CONTRIBUTORS. The number of open deposit contributors' accounts at 31st December, 1923, was 21,000 (13,900 for men and 7100 for women). The amount of benefits paid to deposit contributors during the year 1923 and the amount of the repayments of contributions made on account of death and emigration are shown in Appendix VII. Transfers to Approved Societies. 4473 deposit contributors were transferred to approved societies during the year. The total number of such transfers effected since the commencement of national health insurance is 62,798. On the establishment of insured persons as deposit contributors, on the occasion of the half-yearly issue of contribution cards, and otherwise as opportunity offers, we continue to emphasise the advantages of approved society membership and to urge deposit contributors to join approved societies. Accounts and Statistics of the Scottish National Health Insurance Fund. An abstract of the cash receipts into and the issues out of the Scottish National Health Insurance Fund for the year 1923 will be found in Appendix IX. A summary of accumulated funds under the National Health Insurance Acts in Scotland showing the approximate position at the beginning and end of the year 1923, and including approximate receipts and payments in respect of all forms of benefit and administration, including central administration, is given in Appendix VII. A statement showing the number of persons under the National Health Insurance Acts at 31st December, 1923, is printed in Ap-. pendix VIII. IV. HOUSING AND TOWN PLANNING. General. REVIEW OF HOUSING SITUATION. The period for the completion of houses that are to participate in the subsidy provided for in the Housing, Town Planning, etc. (Scotland) Act, 1919, expires in August, 1924, and this seems a suitable opportunity for reviewing the housing situation as a whole in Scotland. The Royal Commission on Housing estimated that, in 1917, there was, according to the existing accepted standard of habitability, a shortage of 121,430 houses, but the Commission were of opinion that in view of the large number of one and two apartment houses in Scotland that standard should be raised, and they recommended that for this purpose 114,560 additional houses would be required. Their total estimate of the number of houses required before the housing conditions in Scotland could be regarded as satisfactory was 235,990, and of these they stated 121,430 were immediately necessary. The local authorities were required by the Housing, Town Planning, etc. (Scotland) Act, 1919, to estimate needs of their areas, and according to these estimates the shortage at the end of 1919 was 131,101 houses, of which the local authorities themselves contemplated building 115,057. This estimate, it will be seen, approximates fairly closely to that of the Royal Commission for houses immediately necessary. Most of the houses in the schemes prepared to meet this shortage have been or are being provided by means of assistance direct by the State or through local authorities. Under the first Act of 1919 under which State assistance is given to local authorities (the fourfifths of a penny scheme), public utility societies, county councils, and district boards of control, 25,550 houses will be provided. At the end of 1923, 21,087 had already been completed, 2914 were under construction at various stages, and 1549 had still to be commenced. Of these still to be commenced tenders have been approved for 544 houses, and steps have been taken to expedite the submission of tenders for the remainder. Under the Housing (Additional Powers) Act, 1919, in terms of which lump sum grants were made by the State to private persons, 2324 houses have been erected. Under the Housing, etc. Act, 1923, as shewn below, 7280 houses were proposed to be erected either by private enterprise or by the local authorities, of which 12 were completed at the end of the year. In addition it is estimated that 6259 houses will be erected by local authorities with State assistance under their schemes of slum clearance referred to later in this Report. The number of houses actually completed or proposed under the various schemes is thus 41,413. At the end of 1923, however, the number actually completed was only 23,631. Deducting these from the shortage of 131,101 estimated by the local authorities at the end of 1919, the difference is 107,470. It is not known how many |
