§ Mr. BOWERMANasked whether, in the carrying out of the machinery provisions contained in the National Insurance Bill, it is intended to discriminate between the friendly societies and the collecting societies to the disadavantage of the latter; and whether it is intended to give due consideration to the interests of the agents and others connected with the collecting societies?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEOnly those societies which give or are prepared to give benefits similar to those provided for by the Bill will be in any way affected, and the societies which do so will be able to continue their work as approved 99W societies. Collecting societies, which provide death benefits, will be absolutely untouched, and the interests of their agents will be therefore unaffected.
§ Mr. CROFTasked whether the Royal National Hospital for Consumption at Bournemouth will receive assistance from the new fund; and whether the Government would be prepared to give grants towards the cost of rebuilding such sanatoriums where desirable?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEIt would, I fear, be impossible to say whether assistance will be given in a particular case or class pf cases until the National Insurance Bill becomes law.
§ Mr. PICKERSGILLasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can DOW say if it is proposed to commit the National Insurance Bill to a Committee of the whole House?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI am not prepared to make an announcement on the subject yet.