MAJORITY REPORT. 
179 
“Sener 
however, strong objections to the establishment of a special 
State Society for those insured persons who do not 
choose to join one of the existing Approved Societies. 
Such a Society would be in competition with Approved Societies 
and would offer benefits which, even if restricted, would almost 
inevitably have to be guaranteed by the Government. It would 
be a departure on a large scale from the principle of self-governing 
Societies self-contained financially, which is the essence of the 
National Health Insurance Scheme. 
GENERAT, CONSIDERATIONS. 
408. The fact that the present scheme is working smoothly 
and meeting the real problem of insured persons on their way 
to Approved Societies or of those who only expect to be in 
Insurance for a short time, goes far, in our view, to dispose 
of the criticisms directed against its retention. This is specially 
80 since the additional benefit schemes of Approved Societies 
have come into operation, for they have offered a marked and in- 
Cregsed inducement to transfer from the Fund to Societies. So 
far, indeed, as the types of person referred to in (1), (2), (3) 
and (4) of paragraph 399 above are concerned, we see no reason 
Whatever to alter the system. Insured persons of these types 
Will always be with us. The Deposit Contributors Fund provides 
for them as convenient an arrangement as can be made. They 
can have no grievance against the system since it is open to 
them at any time to apply for admission to one or other of the 
bumerous Approved Societies of all types. The persons in 
class (4) might, indeed, have difficulty in getting into a Society, 
but their number is so small and their position is so much due 
to their own default that we do not think they merit any special 
consideration. 
. 409. When, however, we come to class (5)—those persons 
ill health who are unable to obtain admission to a Society—- 
We feel that something more than the meagre cash benefits of the 
Deposit Contributors Fund should be provided. We feel that 
Mn a scheme of National Health Insurance under which com- 
Pulsory contributions are exacted, the continued existence of 
this class, under its present conditions, invites serious criticism. 
We direct attention to the evidence submitted by Sir Walter 
Kinnear on behalf of the Ministry of Health in Q. 23,616-23,646 ; 
and also to the suggestions, already referred to, made by the 
National Federation of Rural Approved Societies in paragraph 16 
of Appendix XXIX. The recommendations which we make are 
generally on the same lines as are suggested in the evidence in 
Question. 
PROPOSED INSURANCE SECTION. 
4 410. We propose that two sections of the Deposit Contributors 
Fond shomtd be formed-—ar *° Todividunl Aseaunt Seetion ™ on