§ 88. Sir PHILIP MAGNUSasked what will be the total sum of money available for medical benefit, and particularly for the payment of doctors, on the several panels for the six months from 15th January till 15th July of this year?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe whole of the National Health Insurance Fund is available for the payment of benefits, including medical benefit, and the fund is much more than adequate for any possible claims upon it within the period named.
§ Sir P. MAGNUSIs the right hon. Gentleman able to tell the exact amount of money that will be available?
§ Mr. MASTERMANMedical benefit will be charged on the National Insurance Funds. I think we have already got £10,000,000, and probably we will have more by next June.
89. MARQUESS of TULLIBARDINEasked whether in Scotland a special cheap line of drugs and bandages is being manufactured wholesale for the use of retail chemists on the National Insurance Act panel, and that chemists have to stock goods much inferior to those they have been accustomed to deal in; and whether the right hon. Gentleman will give directions that thoroughly good materials only will be used?
§ Mr. MASTERMANSo far as I am aware there is no foundation for the suggestion in the first part of the question. Every chemist is required, by the terms of his agreement with the insurance committee, to supply drugs of good quality. It is the duty of every insurance committee to see that this condition is strictly observed, and if the Noble Lord can inform me of any instance in which drugs of inferior quality are being supplied to insured persons by chemists on the panel I will immediately communicate with the insurance committee concerned.
MARQUESS of TULLIBARD1NEIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that there is a special quality of articles now being sold under the description "insurance quality"—such as bandages two yards short and of inferior material, of so-called "absorbent wool," at 10½d per lb., whereas the ordinary quality costs 1s. 8d. per lb.; and is the right hon. Genman aware that boracic lint is supplied at half the ordinary price, the weight being made up by extra boracic?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThat statement is similar to a good many that have been made.