The next deliberate step was the scheme of State insurance against unemployment instituted by Part II of the National Insurance Act, 1911. It applied compulsorily to about 2½ million workmen in building, shipbuilding, engineering, construction of works and vehicles, iron-founding, and, to an extent, saw-milling, but not to non-manual workers. The contribution per week was: employers, 2½_d._; workmen, 2½_d._; State, 1⅔_d._, the State contribution being thus one-fourth of the whole. The benefit assured was 7_s._ per week for fifteen weeks, but nothing during the first week of unemployment, and, when payable, only at the rate of one week’s benefit for every five contributions paid. In 1916, the National Insurance (Part II Amendment) Act, 1914, brought in under the scheme a further 1¼ million workpeople employed in certain trades, principally metals and chemicals, and engaged in the manufacture of munitions of war. At the Armistice, the scheme therefore only covered some 3¾ million persons. This provision was wholly inadequate to meet the unemployment which ensued. A scheme of free out-of-work donation was instituted by the Government for both civilian workers and for men and women discharged from the Forces. This scheme remained in operation from November 1918, until November 1919, for civilians, and until March 1921, for ex-members of the Forces, and, in a few special cases, somewhat longer. The Present Scheme of 1920 It was plainly necessary to make further provision, so a Bill for the extension of unemployment insurance was introduced in the House of Commons, first in December 1919, and again in February 1920, and passing into law in August as the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1920, came into operation on November 8, 1920. It is the statute under which the permanent National Unemployment Insurance Scheme is regulated—by it all previous enactments relating to unemployment insurance are repealed. This Act brings into insurance practically the whole industrial population, and also non-manual workers whose remuneration does not exceed £250 per annum. It excludes, however, agriculture and private domestic service, and empowers the Minister of Labour to grant certificates exempting the permanent employees of certain public undertakings, but, save in the case of railway servants, the numbers engaged in such specially excepted employments are not large. The total number of workpeople insured as the result of this Act is about twelve millions. The contributions prescribed by the Act of 1920 (since temporarily increased) are as follows: