§ Mr. BOOTHI beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer a question, of which I have given him private notice, namely, whether he can make any statement with regard to his negotiations with the medical profession respecting the administration of medical benefits under the National Insurance Act?
§ The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER (Mr. Lloyd George)I made a statement to the House on 23rd October as to the amount of money which the Government proposed to ask Parliament to grant, namely, £1,650,000 for the purpose of increasing the funds available for the remuneration of practitioners attending insured persons, and I then explained briefly the main features of the proposal, which I also described in greater detail in a statement that I made the same day to the Advisory Committee appointed under the Act. Subsequently the British 2487 Medical Association, after discussions on the subject in their various divisional meetings, appointed a deputation of five representatives to confer with me in regard to various points on which they desired further information. The five representatives accordingly saw me on Monday morning, 25th November, and again the next day. Various points upon which the deputation had been instructed by the representative meeting to obtain further information were brought before me, and a Memorandum was prepared setting fully the decisions of the Government, together with the explanations on points upon which doubts had existed. The five representatives had been instructed to prepare a Report for their council upon their conferences with me, and the council was subsequently to circulate a Report to all the members of the association for the consideration of the profession as a whole. As the deputation informed me that it would be impossible for that Report to be completed for circulation till 6th December, at their request I agreed that what passed between us at the conference, and my Memorandum, should be kept confidential on both sides until that date. I therefore propose to lay on the Table of the House this evening the Memorandum representing the reply of the Government, together with other Papers on the subject, and I have arranged that the White Paper containing these shall be available for Members at the Vote Office to-morrow (Friday) morning. Copies of the medical benefit regulations, revised, to carry out the changes that have been decided upon, will also be laid upon the Table to-day, and published to-morrow.
§ Mr. GINNELLWill the right hon. Gentleman include in his statement his proposals regarding an equivalent for Ireland in this matter?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEThis has nothing to do with Ireland. It simply has reference to the medical benefit under the National Insurance Act.