MINORITY REPORT.
329
young persons under the age of 16 years. We feel, on the con-
trary, that as the combined Health, Pensions, and Unemploy-
ment Insurance contributions represent a material proportion of
the cost of cheap labour, there is a danger of a discrimination in
favour of the employment of children under 16 years of age in
certain industries. It is not easy to obtain direct evidence that
Insurance contributions are a factor in this connexion, but the
following very guarded statement from the London Advisory
Council for Juvenile Employment Report, 1924-25, is illumi-
nating : ** Those interested in the industrial welfare of juveniles
have thought that the operation of Trade Board rates and the
Unemployment Insurance Acts has caused certain employers to
discharge their juveniles as soon as they reach 16 years in order
to replace them by younger and cheaper workers. “The informa-
tion available has been carefully scrutinised in this connexion ;
only one per cent of the cases taken in J uly, 1924, and 0-3 per
cent. of the cases taken in December, 1924, appear to have been
discharged from this reason, but care should be exercised not
to place undue weight on these figures as it is possible that of
those whose discharge is attributed to slackness of trade,” &c.,
and amounting to 60 per cent. of the register there may be many
who should be included in the category under consideration. In
this same connexion it is interesting to note that the largest
bercentage of unemployed girls was to be found both in J uly
and in December in the 16-17 age group.’
120. It might be denied that insurability is a factor but it is
not unreasonable to suggest that everything else being accounted
for, employers will give preference to uninsured Persons.
121. We think that the advantages to the nation of an unin-
terrupted medical service throughout life completely outweigh
any hypothetical disadvantages in relation to a public policy
which will in due course be decided from motives not related to
National Health Insurance.
122. We recommend therefore (1) that the Act be amended to
bring into insurance all persons employed after having reached
the statutory school-leaving age; (2) that young persons shail
be entitled from the date of their entry into insurance to medical
benefit, possibly also a modified cash benefit, and to such treat-
ment benefits as may be prescribed, with such administrative
safeguards as may be considered necessary.
SOURCES OF REVENUE.
123. We have recommended that the cost of the extension of
fedical benefit as recommended in the Majority Report and the
balance of the cost of the existing medical benefit should be met
by the Exchequer and the local rates. We have also recommended
