MAJORITY REPORT.

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31

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statement as to whether, though absent from work at the time,
it was her intention to resume employment in the future. The
woman who satisfied her Society that she had not definitely given
up employment was allowed to retain the title to all benefits
under her existing insurance, while the woman who was treated
as having given up employment was allowed to exercise an option
between taking up a new voluntary insurance for reduced benefits
at a low rate of contribution, or drawing in times of illness upon
the very limited amount of her own transfer value. These provisions
 were found thoroughly unsatisfactory in practice, mainly
on the ground that the action to be taken by the Society depended
upon a statement of the woman’s intention, which was in the
hature of things impossible of verification, and also by reason
of a decision of the Court of Appeal (Davidson v. New
Tabernacle (Old Street Congregational) Approved Society [1916],
2 K.B. 80), which appeared to place upon the section an inter-Pretation
 which would have proved most embarrassing in
administration.

513. The position was thoroughly examined in 1916 by the
Departmental Committee on Approved Society Finance and
Administration, and the Report of that Committee contained
Tecommendations designed to clarify the position and to overcome
 the administrative difficulties to which the provisions of
the Act of 1911 had given rise. These recommendations were
embodied in the Bill of 1918, but in the course of the passage
of the Bill through Parliament they became the subject of some
criticism which was mainly directed against the proposal that
one of the options to be allowed to insured women who cease
Work on marriage should be the right to receive a lump sum
Payment by way of a marriage benefit or bonus. It was urged
that this was not a proper use to which to put funds collected
for Insurance purposes under a system of compulsory contributions.
 As a result of this criticism the Bill was amended and the
Scheme which is now in force and is contained in Section 56 of
the Act of 1924., was substituted.

514. The present provisions of the Act relating to married
Women differentiate between those insured women who continue
0 employment after marriage and those who are regarded as
having then ceased to be employed, and a definite test, easy of
Application, is provided to determine whether a woman is to be
treated as having ceased employment or not. A woman who at
the time of her marriage, or within one year thereafter, has had
& period of eight consecutive weeks’ absence from work other-Wise
 than by reason of illness is to be treated as having ceased
to be employed, and from the end of those eight weeks a special
limited form of insurance (Class K) is provided for her. On the
Other hand, a woman who has not had eight weeks of such
Absence from work continues in insurance as an employed con-BA



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