§ MR. E. GARDNER (Berkshire, Wokingham)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether the Local Government Board are prepared either directly or indirectly through their powers of remission of surcharges, to sanction a local authority becoming its own insurer under The Workmen's Compensation Act, 1906. by such authority instituting a fund and paying into it each year a sum of money to be applied to the payment of claims under this Act, instead of such authority insuring with an insurance company.
§ MR. JOHN BURNSI am advised that under ordinary circumstances a local authority would not be empowered to form such a fund as that suggested. It would not be in accordance with the practice of the Local Government Board to sanction recurring illegal expenditure, either directly or by the remission of surcharges, nor do I think that they could properly do so.