HL Deb 10 May 1949 vol 162 cc423-4

2.50 p.m.

LORD HAWKE

My Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will use the propaganda machine at their disposal to point out to contributors to the National Insurance Scheme how small a part of the whole is the medical proportion of their weekly contribution, and that it is not necessary to receive extensive medical benefits to make certain of obtaining a fair return for the contribution.]

THE PAYMASTER - GENERAL (LORD MACDONALD OF GWAENYSGOR)

My Lords, the position as stated by the noble Lord has been kept well in mind by my right honourable friend the Minister of Health, who has repeatedly emphasised it by statements, in Parliament and elsewhere. It has also been emphasised in Press advertisements, leaflets, and other publicity material in communications to the newspapers. This policy will be continued, as opportunity offers. As your Lordships are well aware, the National Health Service is not an insurance scheme. Nearly the whole cost of this Service is borne by general taxation, leaving but a small fraction to come from the National Insurance Fund. Your Lordships would no doubt be interested to learn that of an insured man's contribution of 4s. 11d. per week under the National Insurance Scheme, only 8½d. goes towards the cost of the Health Service, and 4s. 2½d. is to cover him for cash benefits, retirement, widows' pension, unemployment benefit and so on. Even if no use whatever is made of the National Health Service, the value of the pension and other cash benefits provided under the National Insurance Scheme is, in fact, for every class of contributor, a good return for the contribution paid.

LORD HAWKE

I thank the noble Lord for his reply, but I should like to ask whether His Majesty's Government are aware that this wide dissemination which the noble Lord has mentioned is not getting the information to the people who really require to learn the true facts.

LORD MACDONALD OF GWAENYSGOR

My Lords, I think the truth is that the great majority of the workers of the nation were insured before the recent scheme came into force and they are carrying on the practice which they carried on under the old scheme. There are, however, those who were not insured under the old scheme, who think they ought to make an effort to get something in return for their payments. It may well be that that section of the population needs a little more enlightenment.