§ 9 and 10. Mr. C. BATHURSTasked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East, as representing the Insurance Commissioners (1) whether approved societies were instructed to cease notifying the insurance committees of the changes of addresses of their members as from the 12th January, whereas the London Insurance Committee failed to send out medical tickets to insured persons resident in their area until the end of March, and that over 25 per cent. of the medical tickets sent out by that committee have already been returned through the dead letter office; and what steps he proposes to take to secure that the medical tickets shall reach insured persons in London who have not received-the same and who are having to pay for medical treatment as private patients; and (2) whether his attention has been called to the letters of complaint constantly being received by approved societies from members who have not received medical tickets and who have not received any answer to the applications which they have made for the same upon the prescribed form; whether in a number of such cases insured persons are being compelled to pay fees to panel doctors for treatment given before their medical card is received; and what steps the Government propose to take to deal with such cases?
§ Mr. WEDGWOOD BENN (Lord of the Treasury)Experience has shown that approved societies do not become aware of the changes of address of their members sufficiently early to render their notification to insurance committees of any value commensurate with the labour involved; and arrangements have accordingly been made under the system now established with the express object of enabling such notifications to be dispensed with. As I have already stated, special procedure has been set up to enable insured persons who have not received medical cards to obtain them upon application, and my right hon. Friend has no reason to believe that these arrangements are not adequate for the purpose, but if the hon. Member will furnish particulars of the cases referred to by him in which applications have not been 564 promptly dealt with, he will cause inquiries to be made.
§ Mr. HARRY LAWSONMay I ask what special arrangements, if any, have been made in the case of the county of London, where the poorer part of the population is much addicted to the migratory habit?
§ Mr. BENNThe special arrangement in question is the new system of distribution of medical cards as against the old system of application.
§ Mr. C. BATHURSTIs the hon. Gentleman aware that a large number of these cases occur among domestic servants?
§ Mr. BENNNo, I was not aware of that, but if the hon. Gentleman will be so good as to bring to the notice of my right hon. Friend cases where cards have not been returned promptly he will have immediate attention given to the matter.
§ 33. Mr. ARTHUR HENDERSONasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he intends to make an attempt this Session to secure the passage of the Bill to extend medical benefits under the National Insurance Act to insured persons in Ireland?
§ Mr. BENNMy right hon. Friend is communicating with my hon. Friend on this matter to the effect that he fears it is impossible to make the promise asked for.