§ Mr. Grovesasked the Minister of Health (1) what is the amount paid to date, whether for salaries, rent, expenses or otherwise, to or in respect of the Central Medical War Committee; on what basis is the payment computed; and is the expenditure of the committee subject to checking by the Exchequer and Audit Department;
(2) how local medical war committees are financed to enable them to perform their duties; the total amount paid to date from Government funds to such committees; whether their expenditure is subject to Government audit; to what extent such committees have been assisted by staffs of local authorities or insurance committees; is any sum paid to these bodies for such assistance; and how is it computed?
§ Mr. E. BrownThe total amount paid to date in respect of the salaries and expenses of the Central Medical War Committee is £9,754 13s. 2d. This amount includes £2,112 7s. 9d. for the maintenance and use of the Emergency Register up to the outbreak of war, and £7,000 in respect of expenses incurred during the year commencing 1st September, 1939. The remainder consists of the reimbursement of travelling expenses of members attending meetings of the Central Committee. All these payments are subject to examination by the Comptroller and Auditor-General. The sum of £7,000 was determined after a full investigation by an officer of the Department into the work of the committee and the expenditure incurred by them on behalf of the Government. No separate contribution has been made towards the cost of local medical war committees. These committees are financed by the Central Committee, and as the payment of £7,000 referred to above was related to the ex-1190W penditure incurred by the Central Committee, including any reimbursement of the expenses of the local committees, the Department is not directly concerned with the staffing of the local committees. No payment is made to local authorities or insurance committees in respect of this work.