HC Deb 07 June 1921 vol 142 cc1702-3W
Colonel GRETTON

asked the Minister of Health the total number of Parliamentary electors upon the register in Great Britain when the most recent lists of voters were made, and the number of men and women Parliamentary voters separately?

Mr. SHORTT

The most recent lists of voters are those contained in the spring register of the current year, but the figures of this register are not available. The most recent figures at present available for Great Britain as a whole are those of the autumn register, 1919, which comprised:

the recommendation of the Departmental Committee in respect of an increased allowance to approved societies under the National Health Insurance Acts for administration; whether, owing to the enormous increase in the cost of stationery, printing, postage, rent, rates, and office equipment, as well as remuneration to staff, the present allowance is wholly inadequate; and whether he can give the percentage increase in the cost of administration for the National Health Insurance section of the Ministry as between the years 1914 and 1920?

Sir A. MOND

I accept the conclusions of the Majority Report of the Depart- mental Committee as to the administration allowance for approved societies, and I hope to introduce at a very early date a Bill to give effect to the recommendations of the Committee. In reply to the last part of the question, I have to remind the right hon. Member that prior to July, 1919, the central administration of National Health Insurance was in the hands of the Insurance Commissioners, and that since that date it has formed part of the work of the Ministry of Health. In these circumstances it is impossible to give precise figures as to the cost of administration in 1920, and, in any case, no useful comparison could be made between the cost in 1914 and 1920, as throughout the latter year the Department was engaged in the very laborious operations preparatory to the first valuation of approved societies, including much additional work undertaken by the Department to the relief of the societies.