§ 101. Mr. JAMES HOGGEasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether, in order that agents in the employment of certain assurance societies under the National Insurance Act may receive competent wages for the work they perform, he will arrange that none of the 3s. 8d. per member allowed for administrative purposes is spent in any other way or, alternatively, will he arrange that, whatever proportion of this sum is saved by economical administration, such sums will only be diverted for other purposes on ascertaining that reasonable payment is made to such agents?
§ Mr. MASTERMANAs I stated in answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Dundee on the 13th instant, the Commissioners have no power to interfere in the rates of remuneration paid to agents for such work as they do for the National Insurance Act in addition to their normal work, as this is a matter to be settled between themselves and the societies employing them. The funds of a society are held for the benefit of the members, to whose advantage any saving due to economical administration accrues.
§ Mr. HOGGEIs it not competent for the Treasury to see that anything that is saved can be diverted to this purpose?
§ Mr. MASTERMANAnything saved in this way is used for the benefit of the members in order to give them increased medical benefits.