33. Mr. WORTHINGTON-EVANSasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any societies or branches have informed the Insurance Commission of the amounts actually spent by them on sickness benefit, maternity benefit, and cost of administration for the first year since the commencement of the National Insurance Act, or any part of it; and, if so, whether he can state the amounts and the number of insured persons included and how such expenditure compares with the estimates of the actuaries published when the Bill was introduced?
Mr. BENNThe audit of the expenditure of approved societies upon benefits for the first year is now in progress. The Commissioners are, therefore, not in possession of such information as is described in the question, and the information in their possession is not such as to justify a comparison between actual expenditure and the actuaries' estimates.