§ Mr. D. Somervilleasked the Minister of Health whether the number of applicants in connection with the black-coated-workers scheme is in accordance with actuarial anticipations; and how many his actuarial advisers did anticipate would come forward in the first year to benefit under the scheme?
§ Sir K. Wood:The scheme is purely voluntary and the number of persons who will elect to take advantage of the opportunity to insure is not capable of actuarial estimation, and no such estimate has been attempted. The Government Actuary estimated that 1,000,000 to 1,200,000 men 40W and about 500,000 women would be eligible to enter the scheme, but these estimates were given with considerable reserve because of the inadequacy of the available information.