The Social Security Proposals

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22371, 7 April 1938, Page 10

The Social Security Proposals

The proceedings at the first sitting of the select committee of the House of Representatives set up to consider the Government’s national health service and pensions schemes show that it is impossible for the committee to give the proposals adequate consideration and hear evidence from organisations affected in the time at its disposal. The next session will probably begin before the end of June; and, if legislation embodying the proposals or some part of them is to be ready for Parliament, the committee will have to present its report by about the end of May. Even if all actuarial and financial information concerning the proposals were now ready, the time allowed would be far too short. But apparently this information is not ready. According to the Minister for Finance, the actuarial report is still in the process of compilation; and presumably the Treasury’s report on the financial aspects of the schemes will have to be prepared on the basis of the actuarial report. Since the material of both these reports will be highly technical, discussion of them by a lay committee will have to be long and unhurried if it is to be of , any value. There is also the problem of evidence. When a representative of the Dominion Friendly Societies’ Council said he thought his organisation would require at least 10 days for the preparation of its evidence, the Prime Minister said a little impatiently that “if “ everyone wants 10 days’ breathing space, we “ may as well go home.” It may be true that if all organisations are allowed 10 days in which to assemble their ideas, the committee has no chance of doing its job well and in the prescribed time. But it is also frue that 10 days is a very niggardly allowance of time for consideration of proposals which are so farreaching and so sketchily outlined.