§ 77. Mr. HAYDAYasked the Minister of Health the number of persons insured under the National Health Insurance Act, Part I, who were in receipt of sickness benefit for the years ending December, 1921, 1922, 1923, and 1924, respectively; and the total amounts paid in sickness benefits for the same respective periods?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINAs the answer contains a number of figures, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the reply:
§ It is not possible to give the number of persons who were in receipt of sickness benefit for each year as no occasion has arisen for requiring approved societies to keep such statistics, and the necessary data are, therefore, not available.
§ The total number of persons insured under the National Health Insurance Act, and the total amounts paid in sickness benefits (including disablemeJt benefit) in England and Wales for the respective periods specified in, the question are approximately as follow:—
| Year ending | Total Number of Insured Persons. | Total Amounts paid in Sickness Benefits. | |
| £ | |||
| December, 1921 | … | 13,353,000 | 9,861,000 |
| December, 1922 | … | 13,387,000 | 11,560,000 |
| December, 1923 | … | 13,445,000 | 11,533,000 |
| December, 1924 | … | 13,573,000 | 13,028,000 |