§ Captain W. BENNasked the Minister of Health what security is provided for the payment to midwives of their fee out of maternity benefit drawn by insured persons under the Health Insurance Act?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSBeyond providing that the maternity benefit shall in every case belong to the mother, the Act does not specify any particular manner in which the money must be expended, and consequently there is no special provision with regard to the payment of a midwife's fee. The midwife has, however, the advantage of knowing that the woman will receive a fairly substantial sum by way of maternity benefit, and that she would, therefore, ordinarily be in a position to pay a reasonable fee in respect of the attendance she receives.
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