SHARP CHALLENGE ON BEVERIDGE PLAN

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 41, 18 February 1943, Page 5

SHARP CHALLENGE ON BEVERIDGE PLAN

LABOUR PARTY STORM

At Variance With Some Of Its Own Ministers

N.Z.P.A. and British Wireless Reed. noon. LONDON, Feb. 17. A rebellion by Labour members of the House of Commons against the Government's attitude to the Beveridge Social Security report is developing quickly. The Parliamentary Labour party to-day, in the secrecy of a House of Commons committee room, held one of the biggest and most excited meetings for a long time. It is considered that the dramatic happenings last night, which plunged the Labour party into a dilemma, means that Labour members of the House of Commons as a whole officially rejected the Government policy, presumably subscribed to by its own Ministers, including Mr. C. R. Attlee, Secretary for the Colonies, Mr. Ernest Bevin, Minister of Labour, and Mr. Herbert Morrison, Secretary for Home Affairs. It is understood that to-day's meeting supported a motion disapproving of the Government's policy as announced by the Lord President of the Council, Sir John Anderson, but that after appeals from Messrs. Attlee and Morrison final decision was postponed until to-morrow, when another meeting will be held. { Another message states that the Labour party executive, after its emergency meeting, tabled an amendment expressing dissatisfaction with Sir John Anderson's declaration of the official policy, and demanding the immediate implementation of the plan. Debate In Commons An echo of the Labour party storm was heard after the resumption of the debate on the Beveridge report in the House of Commons. Mr. A. Barnes (Labour, East Ham) said the Government's view, as expressed yesterday, was profoundly unsatisfactory to a good many members of the House and under no conditions could it be accepted. The final attitude of the Labour party would depend upon whether the Government was prepared to meet the overwhelming opinion in the House. His main complaint was that Sir John Anderson's statement broke up the whole conception of the Beveridge report and meant the return of the pre-war attitude which led to the patchwork approach to social insurance. He argued that the total increased cost involved in the plan was only four per cent of the present Budget, and did not spring from the proposals themselves but from granting children's allowances, which would come in any case, and from old age pensions. Sir Kingsley Wood, Chancellor of the Exchequer, prefaced his speech with an endorsement of Sir John Anderson's remarks about post-war finance being an unknown quantity. Also, the Government must not overlook the development of other vital post-war services, such as housing, education and civil aviation. He emphasised that the Government was doing nothing to retard the Beveridge proposals. It was doing everything that could reasonably be done at present to expedite them, and immediately after the present debate steps to put the scheme into operation would be taken as far as the main aims were concerned.

Medical Service Soon In regard to a comprehensive medical service, he said, the Government would take immediate steps. It would mean considerable adjustments and almost a complete revolution and, naturally, negotiations with the medical profession and the setting up of a new system would take time. It would be right and proper that the Government, after the negotiation stages, should again consider the financial situation before finally committing itself to legislation. Replying to Mr. Emanuel Shinwell (Labour, Durham), who asked if the family allowances proposals would 'be put into operation at once, Sir Kingsley Wood said that since the Government would be asking the people to make tremendous contributions, the extent of which was not perhaps realised, it ought to in j troduce the scheme as a whole and not with one proposal in isolation He believed the setting up of a Ministry of Social Security now would not expedite but retard preparations for the scheme. He was not opposed to the ■ establishment of a Ministry later. He agreed that in respect of family allowances and insurance generally the scheme should be universal. Mr. George Buchanan (Indepen dent Labour, Gorbals, Glasgow) complained that the Government was timidly approaching the plan in its cheese-paring attitude.

Creation of Ministry Urged Several speakers urged the immediate creation of a Ministry ox Social Security, supporting the editorial opinion expressed in The Times that the creation of such a Ministry is essential to the working of the plan. Several Independent members ex-, pressed disappointment at the Government's attitude, which they thought the country would not accept. Thus, says the Daily Mail, a situation which it was always fairly certain would come about unless the Government made a good show immediately embracing most of the Beveridge proposals, has flared up, causing hurried Ministerial consultations and some political excitement.