53. Mr. F. HALLasked the Secretary to the Treasury the estimated annual cost of the arrangements recently made for hearing complaints against medical practitioners under the National Insurance Act; 'how the expenditure will be borne; if such complaints will be made direct to the Insurance Commissioners by the insured person or through the insurance committees; if the names of the persons to form the committees of inquiry have yet been decided upon; and, if so, will he submit a list of them?
§ Mr. WEDGWOOD BENNThe cost of the arrangements referred to will be pro-vided for in the Votes of the separate Commissions, under the head of Special Inquiries and Services, for which estimates amounting to £5,250 for the four Commissions have been laid before Parliament. If any representations are made to the Commissioners by an insurance committee or a local medical committee that the continuance of a practitioner on the panel would be prejudicial to the efficiency of the medical service of insured persons, the Commissioners must, and if any similar representations are made by any other body or any persons they may, hold an inquiry. The inquiry committee will not, as a rule, investigate complaints made by insured persons until such complaints have been investigated by the medical service sub-committee of the insurance committee. For the purpose of each inquiry an inquiry committee composed of two practitioners and one barrister or solicitor in actual practice is constituted by the Commissioners. The English Commissioners have appointed Mr. J. Fischer Williams, Dr. H. W. Langley-Browne, and Dr. C. H. Milburn to act as the first inquiry committee.