§ Mr. WATTasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the Scottish Clerks' Association, which has members to the number of 20,000 in the United Kingdom, has spent £5,000 in establishing their approved society section on the strength of assurances from his Department, and that in February of this year the Scottish Commissioners have threatened to withdraw their approval; and what compensation he proposes to give to the association for having so misled them?
Mr. ROBERTSONThe special medical scheme of the Society has not at any time been approved by the Commissioners and no question arises, therefore, of withdrawing approval. The Commissioners know of nothing to prevent the Scottish Clerks' Association from working a scheme for additional medical benefit on the private side with free choice of their members for ordinary attendance amongst panel doctors or (where the local insurance committee permits it) amongst non-panel doctors also.