Thames Star MONDAY, APRIL 11, 1938. HEALTH SERVICE SCHEME.

Thames Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 20286, 11 April 1938, Page 2

Thames Star

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 1938. HEALTH SERVICE SCHEME.

"With manct toward! none; with charity for all; with firmnwi in tho right, at God givts ui to ••• tho right. v — Lincoln.

The proceedings at the iirst sitting of the Select Committee oi' the House of Representatives set up to consider the Government's national health service and pensions schemes show that it is impossible i'or the committee to give the proposals adequate consideration and hear evidence from organisations affected in the time at its disposal. The next session Avill 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 ha've to present its report by about the end of May. Even if all actuarial and financial information concerning l 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 ha've 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 pre partition 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 al' 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 true that 10 days is a 'very niggardly allowance of.time for consideration of proposals which are so far-reaching and so sketchilv outlined.