§ 39. Sir J. D. REESasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state how the expenditure actually incurred under the National Insurance Act, arid, so far as can be estimated, to be incurred under the National Insurance Act (1911) Amendment Bill, compares with the estimate he made when introducing the National Insurance Act, 1911?
§ Mr. MASTERMANIt would be impossible to answer the question of the hon. Member without requiring special returns of their expenditure from the societies and branches administering the Act, the number of which is over 20,000. Full returns of income and expenditure will be called for in due course, but it would be unreasonable to require the societies, at this juncture, to interrupt the ordinary routine of their work in order to make up their accounts for the sole purpose of such a comparison as the question suggests.