§ 25. Mr. GOULDINGasked, in view of the recent concessions made in connection with the National Insurance Act, what will be the actual contribution of the Government a week in respect of every insured person?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe extra contribution from the Exchequer in respect of medical benefit announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on Wednesday last is equivalent to about ⅝d. a week for each insured person affected. The actual contributions paid out by the State in respect of any given week will, of course, vary from time to time. The question of the weekly equivalent of the State contributions was fully dealt with in the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Colchester on 28th March, read in conjunction with Sections 15 (8), 16 (1) (b), 17 (3), 57 (3), and the Second Schedule, Part I. of the Act.
§ Mr. GOULDINGCan we not have a statement of the exact contribution of the Government to each person each week with all the expenses they have incurred, the recent concessions and cost of management expenses?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe contribution depends on the amount of benefits drawn week by week by insured persons, but the hon. Gentleman may take it that it is something nearly equivalent to about threepence per week on a rough estimate.