§ Lord CHARLES BERESFORDasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether in spite of Section 59, Sub-section (2), of the National Insurance Act, providing that a certain proportion of medical men shall sit on each local insurance committee, and that the names of such medical men have been submitted to the Commissioners as having been elected by the members of the medical profession as long ago as 22nd January, 1913, nevertheless at Portsmouth their names have not yet been approved by the Insurance Commissioners; whether he is aware that the local insurance committee is refusing to allow these elected medical members to sit and vote on any question, whether medical or otherwise, some such points being of vital importance to the medical profession, unless they are so approved by the Commissioners; whether the local insurance committee under such circumstances is properly constituted; and whether any decisions arrived at by such committee are valid?
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§ Mr. MASTERMANThe election of medical practitioners under Section 59 (2) (c) must be carried out under Regulations made by the Insurance Commissioners, and the election under these Regulations is now proceeding. The medical men referred to by the Noble Lord have not been duly elected in accordance with the requirement of the Act, and are therefore not entitled to sit as members of the insurance committee. The insurance committee is legally constituted by an Order made under Section 78 of the Act, and its proceedings are not invalidated by reason of any such appointments as those referred to by the Noble Lord not having been made.
§ Viscount WOLMERasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the Lancashire Insurance Committee have refused to allow insured persons to choose their own doctors; and whether that committee is carrying out the wishes of the Government in this respect?
§ Mr. MASTERMANEvery insured person has a right to choose any doctor on the panel in Lancashire as elsewhere, and I am not aware that the Lancashire Insurance Committee have taken any action which would deprive insured persons of this right. An insurance committee in allowing or refusing to allow an insured person to make his own arrangements for treatment by a doctor who is not on the panel must exercise its discretion in accordance with the Act and the Regulations.