§ Mr. DUNCAN MILLARasked the Secretary to the Treasury to state the amount which will be made available to cover mileage in connection with the administration of medical benefit under the National Insurance Act in country districts; and on what principle the fund will be allocated among the various districts?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI am afraid that I have nothing to add to the answer which my right hon. Friend gave yesterday.
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§ Sir HILDRED CARLILEasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the agreements now being and about to be submitted to the medical men willing to come on the panel have been drafted on legal advice, and, if so, by whom; whether a standardised form is being adopted; and, if not, whether he will consider the propriety of this being done?
§ Mr. MASTERMANAlternative forms of agreement were drafted by the Insurance Commission after taking all necessary advice and sent as model forms to the Insurance Committees.
§ Sir PHILIP MAGNUSasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in the event of the doctors refusing to accept service under the National Insurance Act on the terms recently offered to them, the Government intend, as the only alternative open to them, to propose a great extension of the system by which the societies employ their own doctors or a whole-time State service?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEAs practitioners who desire to have their names placed upon the first panel lists may make application up to 31st December it would be premature to make any statement of the kind suggested.
§ Mr. BIRDasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what is the maximum number of insured persons per annum one doctor will be allowed to contract to attend under the National Insurance Act; and how many attendances per day in the winter months this number of persons may be expected to call upon the said doctor to make; and (2) what precautions are to be taken to ensure that no doctor, for the sake of gain, may contract, under the National Insurance Act, for a greater number of insured persons than he can efficiently attend, in the winter as well as the summer months, and with whom will be vested the power of dealing with such cases?
§ Mr. MASTERMANIt would be impracticable to fix such a maximum number as is suggested, as the number for whom a doctor can properly be responsible must necessarily vary according to the circumstances of each particular case. It will, however, be the duty of the insurance committee in each district to see that the arrangements made are such as to secure that the insured persons in their district will receive adequate medical attendance and treatment.