The main purpose of this Bill is to place members of the Defence Forces in such a position that unemployment benefit rights acquired before they joined the Forces will be preserved for them during their service in the Forces, and that they will have those rights available to them in full on the termination of such service.

The second purpose of the Bill is similarly to preserve such rights to certain of our nationals who have been serving upon ships which were formerly on our register, but whose registration has been changed since the outbreak of the war.

The Bill will cover all members of the Forces and all members of the Reserve called out on permanent service, with the exception only of those commissioned officers who have adopted the Army as their career, and will retire at the end of their normal period of service on pension.

I missed the early part of the Minister's statement. I think he said there were some exceptions. Is there any exception?

Only in the case of those officers who normally would not come within the terms of the Insurance Act, those who have accepted permanent commissions and who, at the end of their career, retire on pension.

But even those who are in for the duration or whatever the official term is—ordinary soldiers— are treated as insured persons?

They are treated as insured persons.

That is a thing I wanted to do years ago. It is very necessary.

The Minister mentioned that the Bill is to secure rights to unemployment benefits. Has he a similar Bill in connection with national health insurance?

As a matter of fact, I gather that members of the Defence Forces are covered so far as the National Health Insurance Acts are concerned, but I am not responsible for the administration of national health insurance, and it does not come within the scope of this Bill.