§ 28. Mr. TOUCHEasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that, according to the information available at the Local Government Board, over 2,300 persons of sixteen years of age and upwards, and over 750 under sixteen years of age, suffering from tuberculosis, were being treated in the Poor Law infirmaries and Metropolitan Asylums Board's institutions, many of whom presumably would be entitled, under the National Insurance Act, to sanatoria benefits; that the cost of the treatment of these patients involves a very large expenditure, which is at present a charge upon the poor rates of the Metropolis; and can he say what provision out of the National Health Insurance Funds it is intended to make for these cases?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe National Health Insurance Fund can only be charged with the cost of treating insured persons and the dependants of insured persons, but the National Insurance Act and the Finance Act, 1911, have made available a sum of £1,500,000 to aid the provision of sanatoria and other institutions in which both insured and non-insured persons may receive treatment.
§ 62. Mr. FELLasked if certain definite sums have been assigned for the payment of the sanatoria benefits under the National Insurance Act; and if these sums form a part of the general fund and will be available for the general expenses of the Act?
§ Mr. MASTERMANDefinite sums are allocated under Section 16 (2) of the National Insurance Act for the provision of sanatorium benefit. These sums are not available for other purposes of the Act.
§ Mr. MASTERMANNo. The Act definitely allocates certain sums that must be devoted to sanatorium benefit.