MAJORITY REPORT. CHAPTER VII. THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES OF THE HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME. 154. One of the most important points confronting us in the course of our investigations relates to the question whether the whole of the present financial resources of the National Health Insurance system are in fact required to provide for the existing benefits and the related cost of administration, or whether, as has been urged from some quarters and notably by the National Confederation of Employers’ Organisations, there is an appreci- able margin which might be made available for other purposes. As we have seen in the preceding chapter, the Employers’ Confederation advocate very forcibly a substantial reduction in the rates of contribution. On the other hand, many responsible witnesses press for extensions of benefit in various directions. Before we proceed to examine this important question of the margin, it will be helpful to give a brief account of the financial structure of the Scheme. THE FINANCIAL STRUCTURE. 155. This need be attempted only in the broadest outline, as a detailed description of the financial machinery and of the numerous accounts relating to National Health Insurance is given in Section D of Appendix I to our Minutes of Evidence. That statement has been supplemented by oral examination (Q. 2127 to 2543) which revealed nothing of a substantial nature lending itself to adverse criticism. The financial machinery is undoubtedly elaborate in character and thus may offer difficulty to society officials untrained in accounting problems. But we are told that the actual work is not so complex as would appear on the surface (Strohmenger, Q. 2448), and that the Department strives to effect all possible simplification. In our opinion the arrange- ments are well devised and in general the machinery appears to work smoothly and effectively. 156. The revenue of the Scheme is derived from contributions and State grants. The contributions are in the main paid by affixing Health Insurance stamps to cards which have a currency of six months. For this purpose about £500,000 worth of stamps on the average are purchased week by week, by employers at Post Offices. The value of the stamps sold amounted in the year 1924 to some £27,000,000, and since the beginning of the Scheme in 1912 to the end of 1924 the receipt from sales of stamps amounted to upwards of £250,000,000. The Post Office pays over weekly the amount of these receipts to the respective National Health Insurance Funds. Employers on whom is imposed the responsibility for paying the full contribution affix