Oral Answers to Questions — National Health Insurance. – in the House of Commons at on 2 May 1923.
Sir Kingsley Wood
, Woolwich West
asked the Minister of Health whether the Government actuary notified Sir Eric Geddes' Committee that he could not safely advise that the funds of approved societies could bear any further burden in respect of increased payments on account of medical benefit without an increase of contributions; and whether he has given any further advice on this subject?
Mr. CHAMBERLAIN:
The advice given by the Government actuary to the Committee on National Expenditure, with regard to the matter referred to by the hon. Member, is contained in Appendix B to the First Report of that Committee (Cmd. 1581), page 139. The Government actuary gave further advice on the subject in his Report on the Financial Provisions of the National Health Insurance Act, 1922, with regard to which I would refer the hon. Member to the replies which I gave to him on the 18th and 23rd April.
Sir Kingsley Wood
, Woolwich West
Can the right hon. Gentleman tell me whether the Government actuary has given any further advice since the last Report?
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
