Mr. WALTER GUIN N ESSasked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East, as representing the Insurance Commissioners, whether, in view of the expense thrown on the administration allowance of approved societies by the necessity of hiring rooms and paying travelling and out-of-pocket expenses of lodge secretaries in connection with the audit of approved societies, the Government will advise either a special Grant or an increase of the administration allowance?
Mr. BENNThe auditors usually require the lodge books to be sent for audit to local offices of the National Insurance Audit Department, the cost of carriage being defrayed entirely by the Department. If the accounts are in order, the lodge secretary's attendance at audit is not required. Where the accounts are found to be confused or the records incomplete, the auditor attends at a centre convenient for the lodges of the district for the purpose of interviewing lodge secretaries and clearing up points of difficulty which cannot conveniently be settled by correspondence. Lodges are not required to hire rooms for this purpose. It will be observed that the lodge is put to no expense in connection with the audit of the State accounts where the lodge secretary's work is efficiently performed.