FINANCE ASPECT

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 41, 18 February 1943, Page 5

FINANCE ASPECT

NEED FOR CAREFUL CONSIDERATION

(Rec. 12.30 p.m.) RUGBY, Feb. 17,

Speaking after the resumption o<f the debate on the Beveridge report, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Kingsley Wood, prefaced nis speech with an endorsement of Sir John Anderson's remarks about post-war finance being an unknown quantity, and, while ensuring that finance should be the country's servant and not its master, the consequent need for careful consideration of all financial aspects. Also, he said, 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.

In regard to a comprehensive medical service, the Government would take immediate steps. It would mean considerable adjustments and an almost complete revolution. and naturally negotiations with the medical profession, and the setting up of the 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. E. Shinwell, 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 introduce the scheme as a whole and not treat one in isolation. He believed that the setting up of a Ministry of Social Security now would not expedite but retard the preparations for the scheme. He was not opposed to the establishment of a Ministry later. He agreed that on family allowances and insurance generally the scheme should be universal.—B.O.W.