§ 71. Mr. GRIFFITHSasked the Minister of Health whether he has received from the Insurance Committee for the county of Glamorgan a protest at Wales being ignored in the composition of the Pharmaceutical Distribution Committee and several like matters, coupled with a demand that Wales should be granted the same measure of autonomy in National Health Insurance matters as that granted to Scotland; and what steps he proposes to take?
§ Sir K. WOODYes, Sir. My right hon. Friend has received a letter in the sense indicated by the hon. Member. The Pharmaceutical Distribution Committee was constituted on the same lines as the Medical Distribution Committee, which has never contained any separate representation of the Welsh Insurance Committees. The two committees are already sufficiently large, and my right hon. Friend sees no necessity to increase them. On the general question, I may say that the National Health Insurance Scheme in Wales is governed by the provisions of the Ministry of Health Act, 1919, and the National Health Insurance Act, 1924. There are separate National Health Insurance Funds for England and Wales, though owing to the relatively high cost of medical benefit in Wales provision has been made under the Economy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1926, for a payment by the National Health Insurance Fund to the Welsh National Health Insurance Fund to meet the additional cost. My right hon. Friend sees no sufficient reason for disturbing these arrangements.
§ Mr. GRIFFITHSIs my hon. Friend aware that all the other Insurance Committees in Wales have adopted the resolutions passed by the Glamorgan Insurance Committee, and will the Minister 633 receive a deputation during this month to go into the complicate and intricate matters mentioned in the answer?
§ Sir K. WOODI will consider that and communicate with the hon. Gentleman.