§ 58. Mr. CASSELasked the Secretary to the Treasury, whether appointments to be made by any approved society upon an insurance committee may be made and any voting rights to which the society may be entitled at elections of representatives may be exercised by the committee of management of the society without reference to the members of the society; and whether the persons appointed or nominated for election may be persons who are not members of the society appointing or nominating them and not insured persons at all?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe regulations for the appointment of representatives of insured persons on insurance committees have been framed in accordance with Section 59 of the National Insurance Act, which confers the power of appointment not on the individual members of a society but on the society as a whole, and the rules of approved societies generally provide for the committee of management acting on behalf of the society in a matter of this kind. With regard to the second part of the question, the Act does not limit the choice of societies in the matter of these appointments, either to members of the societies or to insured persons.
§ Mr. CASSELIs it not the case that members of societies are not necessarily entitled to any voice in the selection of representatives, and has the right hon. Gentleman received representations from any societies objecting to the method of selection?
§ Mr. MASTERMANPersonally, I have received no representations of any kind on the matter. If every man is to have a vote' in the selection of these committees it means a general election in England costing hundreds of thousands of pounds.