§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAasked the Minister of Health whether he is now in a position to make a statement regarding the recommendations of the Consultative Council in respect of the proposals made by the Royal Commission on National Health Insurance that the scope of the benefit should be extended to include a consultant and specialist medical service, and that the necessary funds for this purpose should be obtained by a partial pooling of future surpluses of approved societies?
§ Sir K. WOODThe recommendations of the Royal Commission, to which the hon. Member refers, were very fully considered by the Consultative Council, who unanimously endorsed the recommendation that the first extension of the statutory benefits of National Health Insurance should take the form of the widening of the scope of medical benefit to include a specialist and consultant service. The Council, however, by a large majority, declined to endorse the recommendation of the Royal Commission that the cost of this extension should be met by means of a partial pooling of future surpluses of approved societies.